The Student Body
by drotuno
Summary: When Bella's subject drops out of her experiment with less than two months left before her thesis is due, she panics. In walks Edward Cullen, best friend and fellow med student. Staying clinical may prove difficult when things get personal. Rated M ExB
1. Labels

**A/N… I'm back. ;) I figured that Valentine's Day was a perfect day to start this little romance. So here's my gift to you guys.**

 **I need to explain a thing or two with this fic. First, it's going to be short, approximately 7-8 chapters. Second, it was inspired by a video I saw online – plot bunnies are a beast, honestly – I'd posted it in my FB group, but it's since disappeared from the original website. Third – and the most important – this fic is about sex. It will discuss casual sex, body parts, and sexual reactions to stimulation. If this isn't something you're comfortable with, then maybe this isn't for you. However, all my rules still apply. ;)**

 **SUMMARY: When Bella's subject drops out of her experiment with less than two months left before her thesis is due, she panics. In walks Edward Cullen, best friend and fellow med student. Staying clinical may prove difficult when things get personal. Rated M ExB**

 **This is also the result of attempting to write for a contest, which seems to be an impossible feat for me, because I'm way too damn wordy. LOL**

 **I'll let you get to it.**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 1 – Labels**

 **Bella**

Checklist upon checklist, I thought to myself as I shifted notebooks and pages around. There were outlines for my thesis, plans for the room I needed to use for the experiment, and the schedule for the lab. Med school was a never-ending pile of books and paper and labs. It was endless studying and assignments.

Rubbing my eyes, I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath. A glance around the USF library showed various examples of humanity. My focus was Human Sexuality, so it was very interesting to watch the give and take of conversations, the shy smiles, the stolen glances, and the nonchalant touches.

Fellow students I saw just about every day could be easily summed up with general labels if someone didn't observe them as much as I did. There was the introvert who sat in the corner; she had a crush on the football player who wasn't studying because he was too busy laughing it up with his buddies. The extrovert who sat in the middle of the room in order to be the center of attention. The feminist, always wearing a scowl and Doc Martens. The bad boy who reeked of weed and beer. The genius who graduated high school at fifteen. The whole library was the picture of societal hierarchy…or _The Breakfast Club_ of the new millennium.

I snorted to myself, shaking my head, but I glanced up when a shadow fell over me. Narrowing my eyes at Emmett McCarty, I took in his fidgeting. He rubbed the back of his neck, shifted on his feet, and I'd swear he was sweating. And if he was that nervous…

"Oh, hell no! You are _not_ backing out on me, Emmett!" I hissed, starting to stand. And I didn't give a fuck that he was a linebacker for the football team; I was pretty sure I was going to punch him.

"Bella, wait! I can explain," he whispered, taking the chair next to me, but he shot a glance across the library to the girl I'd labeled a feminist. "Listen, I _know_ the timing is bad, but I just… I mean…" He groaned, his usually childlike grin evaporating from his face and turning into a genuine pout. "I've wanted to ask Rose out for so long, and she finally agreed! You can't hate me for that!"

"Fuck, Em," I sighed, rubbing my temple. "You can't do this to me. I've got to have this finished and edited in two months!" I glanced up at him and then across to the girl in the Docs, who was watching us warily. "I haven't found a girl. Would she—"

"No!" he answered before I could finish the question. "No, Bella, she's um… She's been through some stuff, you know? And doing that, well… It's not something she'd do." When I opened my mouth to argue that point, Emmett held up his giant hand. "I know, you promised anonymity, but she just…wouldn't do it."

"Shit," I grumbled, shaking my head as I glared around the library again. "Damn it, Em… This is my thesis, my _life_ you're messing with! You said…" I trailed off because arguing wouldn't change his mind, and my eyes locked on to a person that I'd been unable to label. Not with just _one_ label, anyway, because so damn many came to mind when he entered a room.

To watch Edward Cullen walk through the library, smiling, waving, shaking hands with people he knew, it was easy to label him an extrovert. He was in Med school with me, so he was smart and studious, too. He was long, lean, and muscular, and he'd played on the soccer team for his freshman and sophomore years, so jock came to mind. But really he wasn't any of those things, _and_ he was _all_ of those things. Girls wanted him, guys wanted to be him, and he was respected by our professors. I honestly wanted to label him as perfect, but no one was perfect. The most I could call him was neighbor and best friend, because we lived in the same apartment building, occasionally sharing rides and classes. And he was a reliable study partner, I added mentally as he dropped his bag down on the table across from me at his usual time.

Edward greeted Emmett with that guy chin-jerk thing, glancing between us, and his eyebrows shot up when I glared back at Emmett.

"Cullen," Emmett mumbled but turned back to me, still bracing for my temper.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now, Emmett?" I asked him. "You promised me you do this _and_ that you'd bring the girl. Now I'm out both?"

"I have friends that post sex videos online, so…it's not like you can't find people to have sex with…"

"I'm not having… It's not a fucking _porn_ ," I groaned, waving him away. "Get away from me. Leave it to a jock man-whore to finally go monogamous."

"Bella, I'm…" He trailed off when I shot him a glare. "You're gonna junk-punch me, aren't you?"

"Go away," I mumbled behind my hands, setting my elbows on the table as I rubbed my face. I heard the chair push back and knew Emmett had left the table.

"Swan."

"Cullen," I answered back, my face still in my hands.

"If you're hard up for a date…" When I dropped my hands loudly to the table, he chuckled. "I'm just sayin'…" His grin stayed wide, carefree as he shrugged a shoulder. "What's sex between friends?"

"A booty call."

He barked a laugh, his eyebrows flicking up once. "True."

I huffed a small chuckle, shaking my head. This is what we did – a give and take of verbal vomit. We'd been this way since we'd met our freshman year in the dorms at USF. We'd figured out both of us were working toward a medical career – albeit different ones – and we ended up in most of the same classes. Studying together came naturally, which pissed off the girls crushing on him all the time, but he never gave it much attention. Neither of us was from Florida, like some of our fellow students. Edward had grown up in Chicago; however, his parents moved down here our sophomore year. I'd grown up in Phoenix, but I'd spent my last two years of high school in a small town in Washington. We'd had that in common – all alone in a new state, at a big school, and doctor wannabes.

Edward's face alone could be a label anomaly. His dark brownish/reddish hair stuck up in every direction, not because it was styled that way but because he had a habit of shoving his hands in it all the time. It looked like he'd just rolled out of bed…or had a quickie in an empty classroom with some girl. The wide, happy grin that took over his features, the sharp jawline, the heavy but expressive eyebrows, and green eyes that had flecks of gold – all those things mixed together to make him just…pretty. But pretty in a handsome, masculine guy way.

Edward Cullen was gorgeous.

And I tore my gaze away from his extremely amused gaze to the lists of things I needed before my project was due. Emmett just fucked me over, and not in the way I'd needed. My fist came down on the list.

"Damn it," I hissed, grimacing at the pain that shot through my hand. "Ow."

Edward shifted from his seat to the one at the end, reaching for my hand. "Stop, Swan," he whispered, rubbing the heel of my hand gently with long, talented fingers. "Talk to me. Tell me why you need sex with a jock. He could be all doped up on steroids, so…" He held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. "He's probably…" When I narrowed my eyes at him, he trailed off but laughed lightly.

"Get used to 'roided out jocks, Edward. That's your future clientele."

"Get used to small dicks, Swan. That's _your_ future clientele."

I laughed at his comeback, but he sobered quickly, still massaging my hand. We teased each other relentlessly on what we'd chosen as specialties, but it was true. Edward was interested in sports medicine and rehabilitation, and I'd chosen sex therapy and human sexuality.

"Did he really mess you up?" he asked, true sincerity in his tone, and I nodded, pushing papers around with my free hand. "So…what's the deal?"

"You know this stuff, Cullen."

"Yes, but explain it in detail. Explain it like you would to someone who hasn't watched your research." He chuckled when I rolled my eyes at him, but he waved a hand to get me to start talking.

"My thesis is in two parts – my paper and the video experiment to go with it," I started, looking his way, but he was pulling my pages closer. "This counts as my final grade _and_ the last of my lab work hours, not to mention help me with placement for internship. It's a study on which sexual positions provide the best stimulation, which one is best for conception, and the human physical reactions to those stimuli. The video portion was going to be completely anonymous. I'm editing out faces and such, because I only need certain parts."

He grinned but nodded. "And you picked _Emmett McCarty_?"

"I needed someone in decent shape, and I needed someone who wouldn't be embarrassed to be filmed, Edward, not because I have some sort of thing for him."

I pulled my hand away in a huff, but Edward simply reached down for my leg. Lifting up my foot, he tugged off my sneaker and started to work on my instep.

"What?! I need the practice, Bella," he argued, rolling his eyes at me when I raised an eyebrow his way.

I waved his words away, because really, that shit felt amazing. I certainly wasn't going to argue a free massage, and damn, I was tense enough to need one.

"Believe it or not, Emmett's blood work came back clean," I said, glancing up when Edward snorted. "I don't have time now for another male applicant. I have two girls' blood work ready, but Emmett had a girl in mind, so I was letting him pick. I mean, he's the one who was having sex with them."

Edward's fingers slipped up my foot and over my ankle to start kneading my calf. "You had backup chicks?"

Grinning at the way he said it, I nodded. "Yeah, what's college casual sex with a stranger in the great big picture?"

"A one-night stand," he replied with a chuckle.

"Right. Though, that ranks up there with human behavior studies, too." I met his gaze – sharp dark green in the library's lighting – and despite our always present banter, I asked, "What the hell am I supposed to do now? I'll have to rework the whole thing, forget the video, even though it was approved. Do you have any idea what hoops I had to jump through in order to get this cleared?! It's 2016, and sex is still so damned taboo. It's utterly ridiculous."

"Bella," he said softly, his fingers rubbing my calf before reaching for my other foot and removing the sneaker. He grinned when I shook my head at him as he started all over with my other leg. "Emmett's sorta right, you know. People record themselves having sex all the time, so a replacement shouldn't be an issue."

"I know, but still… It's the principle of the damn thing. I know there are douchebags out there who could film a couple having sex and call it science, but I really was focusing on the physiology of it all. If I wanted to shoot porn, I'd be making a helluva lot more money and my student loans wouldn't be through the damn roof."

Edward laughed. "Snapchat alone would be the easiest place to start."

Chuckling, I nodded but held up my hand. "I don't want to know what you've received on that phone of yours, Cullen."

"Swan, it would give you enough _human behaviors_ to study for the rest of your life."

I scowled. "That's foul. Do guys actually like that shit?"

"Like it? Sure," he said with a shrug. "Respect it? Not a chance. The first thing a dude does with a girl's picture like that is show it off to the other dudes around him. It's one thing if there's a relationship there and it's done with some sort of shared emotions or feelings behind it, but if she's doing it to _get_ attention, then it just seems…" He trailed off, his handsome face scrunching up into a grimace.

"Cheap?" I offered.

"Sad," he countered, shaking his head. "Anyway, back to your project. Is there any way you can rework it?"

Chuckling at his abrupt change of subject, I shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I suppose I could write a truly detailed paper, listing out all the physical reactions I was going to prove in the experiment, but I was hoping to provide some sort of basis to help couples trying to conceive, not to mention couples dealing with sexual issues. This was _my_ start, Edward."

Edward's gaze was on my leg as he massaged my calf muscle. When he spoke, he didn't look up. "What would you need in order to replace Emmett? What tests? And how long do you have?"

Pulling my paperwork closer, I sighed. "I need a full blood workup – checking for STDs, white blood cell count, protein. I need someone sexually active and in decent shape, because this will be a study of three specific sexual positions. They need to be willing to have sex without contraception, because the male's reactions are just as important as the female's. I'd like a physical, too, but at this point, I don't think I have the time. I have to get this filmed, edited, and my paper written. I've got two months to get all that done. And blood tests alone can take time. Most test results are back in twenty-four hours, but some results can take a bit longer. Why?"

"And the girls?"

"I can't tell you who they are, Edward." I laughed at his silly grin. "The two volunteers I have are clean and on birth control. Is that what you wanted to know?"

His nose wrinkled, which was an unusual reaction from him. I expected more snarky remarks, but he gently put my sneakers back on each foot and tied the laces, setting my legs across his lap. He opened his backpack and removed his notes and textbooks, still not looking me in the eye.

"And wh-who sets up the cameras and stuff?"

"I do."

That brought his gaze to mine quickly, and his eyes were a touch wider with shock. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." I nodded, shuffling papers around in order to find the one I wanted, which was the diagram of the room, bed, and camera placement. "There are three on-person cameras. Small ones – on the female's areola and inside the vaginal wall, and one on the shaft of the penis, just below the pubic bone. I'll be the one to attach them or shift them around depending on which position the couple will be testing at the moment. Then there are a few more standing cameras and one mounted on the bed." I tapped the page. "All that footage will have to be edited down to block out the faces, not to mention show the physical examples I need. It's difficult enough to ask a couple to have sex in front of and _with_ a camera; it's another level altogether to have a bunch of people in the room. So I thought for privacy's sake, it should just be me."

"For confidentiality."

"Exactly."

He was quiet for a moment, opening notes and books for class. He bit down hard on his bottom lip but finally met my gaze.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"What?" I barked, laughing a little too loudly in the quiet of the library, so I leaned closer. "You can't be serious, Edward. You can't possibly be that hard up. Look around you."

"No!" he argued back, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, ignoring the glances we were getting – the glances he _always_ got whenever he was in a damn room. "I'm not hard up, Swan; I'm trying to help you."

My mouth fell open, and I eyed him up and down. Suddenly, the mere idea was ludicrous but so damned intriguing too, because he'd probably be stunning on camera. But then the reality of it all set in, and I realized I'd not only be attaching cameras to parts of him I'd never seen, but I'd be watching him have sex with some random girl. Something about that was unsettling. We were _friends_ , for fuck's sake.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I don't have time for you to get your ass checked out." It was a lame excuse, but it was as good as I could give him. "I'll figure it out, Cullen."

"Why not me, Swan?" he asked, laughing a bit, but his eyes were tight. "It's just sex, right? And it's for science, right?" He sighed, tilting his head my way. "I'm no virgin, Bella. And it wouldn't be unlike a touch of exhibitionism. Everyone's done it somewhere public or where they shouldn't have. And don't lie to me, because I know you."

I snorted. "Right, but this isn't the backseat of a car or underneath the bleachers at a high school football game…"

"Ah, I knew you were a freak, Swan!"

Laughing, I shoved him with my foot that was still on his lap. "Really, Mr. Exhibitionist?" He grabbed my foot, but I shook my head. "I can't ask you to do this. It's supposed to be anonymous."

"Emmett isn't anonymous, Bella," he argued. "Half the female freshman population is gonna recognize his body!" When I laughed, Edward grinned adorably. "Well, that is if this shit is public."

I shook my head. "No, just my professor." I gazed down at my notes and then back at Edward. "You… Do you have a girl in mind? Or did you…"

"I haven't had a girlfriend in over two years," he answered before I could finish.

"You've dated, Edward, so don't sit there and tell me…"

"I'm not _telling_ you anything. A date doesn't always equal sex, Swan. A man can get a drink or dinner or see a movie without expectations of sleeping with someone." When I raised an eyebrow at him, he grinned. "I'm no monk, Bella, but you don't exactly need a virgin for this endeavor now, do you? And don't judge me either. How's Newton?"

"Currently dating someone other than me, thankfully," I sang with a false smile as he laughed at me. "And Jake hasn't called in years, so…"

"Good," Edward growled. "Newton was one thing, all lost puppy over you and shit, but Jake was an asshole."

"How's Lauren?" I countered just to get back at him for this line of questioning, smiling innocently and batting my eyelashes at him.

We'd reached touchy territory in our friendship. Edward couldn't stand Jacob Black, a guy from back home I'd been dating when I first started at USF. He'd visited once, broke up with me, and never called again. And I thought Lauren was a shallow whore, because Edward had caught her cheating on him. Or maybe I simply hated her for hurting him. I wasn't sure which.

"Ah, the good old days of our undergrad years." Edward sighed deeply, rolling his eyes at my laugh. But he held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just trying to help you, Bella."

I groaned, shaking my head. "I don't know." I glanced his way, and he seemed sincere and willing. "I need you to get tested, and I…"

"Let me worry about that. Give me a day or two."

"Are you sure?" I asked him, grimacing. "This isn't for fun, and I'm supposed to be all clinical about this, but we're friends, Edward."

He grinned, shaking his head. "First of all, I trust you. Second, you of all people know that sex is just sex, right? This is what you plan on doing the rest of your life. Might as well start with someone you know."

My eyes narrowed on his expression, because it looked to me like he was trying to convince himself, not me. "Yeah, but…"

He held up the diagram of the camera setup. "Just make sure my camera is… _big enough_ , Swan." He shot me a cheesy wink as I snatched my paper back from him with an exasperated sigh.

"Shut up, Cullen. Get me my blood work first, and then we'll talk. I need it ASAP."

"You'll have it, Bella. I promise."

My brow furrowed a bit as another label for Edward came to mind. He was loyal, and he was seriously considering doing this. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… This will update twice a week – Sundays and Wednesdays. This will probably be the longest A/Ns I'll put on here, too, unless there's a question that needs answering.**

 **On a side note… Jenny and I (aka Sarge's Girls) have a book available on Amazon. You can find it by searching the site for Deb Rotuno or Jenny Rarden. Either name will bring the book** _ **High Heels & Hard Drives **_**up. It's a short novella, so check it out if you're interested. I want to thank those of you that have already bought it. Thank you so much! :D**

 **I will see you guys again on Wednesday for the update for** _ **The Student Body**_ **. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)**


	2. Sacrifices

**A/N… Thank you so much for your reviews on the first chapter! For those of you all in, welcome back. For those that are worried, please remember my rules. ;)**

 **Time to meet Edward…**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 2 – Sacrifices**

 **Edward**

"Hey, you handsome thing," Mrs. Cope greeted when she looked up from her desk.

"Mrs. Cope," I said back with a grin, but she was up and out of her chair to hug me. "My dad hasn't driven you off yet?"

"Oh, pooh, Edward. He's a perfect gentleman, that father of yours. And he's just finishing up with a consultation. Have a seat," she told me, taking her place back behind her desk. "Did he know you were coming?"

"No, probably not," I sighed, setting my backpack down and gazing out the window.

Tampa General Hospital was big, sitting right off Bayshore on Davis Island. The view was beautiful – the glittering water from the bay, the extraordinarily expensive waterfront homes, and the bright-blue sky with the warm Florida sun. All of it was so different from home. Chicago would've been freezing and snowy this time of year. And despite the cooler weather, I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt to class most days. In the far distance, at the opposite end of the bay, the planes from MacDill Air Force Base could be seen taking off and landing.

In the last six years that I'd been living here, I'd gotten to know the area. The thought made me smile, because it had been trial and error learning the city that was truly spread out. Of all the friends I'd made at school, Bella was my closest, and it was with her that I'd tried to figure this whole town out. We'd gotten lost so many times, I'd stopped counting. And that was simply trying to find places we'd needed, never mind bars and restaurants.

"Son?"

Turning around, I saw my dad. We were nothing alike in looks, but our builds were similar, and he was my biggest support when it came to my choice of vocations.

"You here to take me to lunch?" he asked, grinning my way.

"No…well, we _can_ , but…" I said nervously, raking a hand through my hair and then rubbing the back of my neck.

He knew my habits so well that he immediately sobered. "Okay, c'mon in."

I picked up my school bag, hitched it up onto my shoulder, and followed him into his office, setting the bag down in an empty chair. He took his seat, tilting his head at me.

"Everything okay at school?"

Nodding, I sighed. "Yeah, great."

"Bella okay?" he asked, smiling up at me.

My parents loved Bella Swan. They simply adored her. My mother wasn't as subtle as my father. She'd be over the moon if there was more than friendship to it, but my dad continuously told her to let it go.

"That's kinda why I'm here," I hedged, grimacing a little. "I just… I need your help with something."

"If you're finally asking that pretty thing out, then I can't hold your mother back, son," he teased me, merely trying to lighten the mood, but he sobered when I flinched a little. "Sit, kiddo. Talk to me."

I took the chair across from him and wondered why I was so damned nervous. Sex wasn't an off-limits conversation with my parents. They'd always been pretty open about it, even when I was a kid. When I'd started dating in high school, Dad had taken me aside and told me to be careful, always. With Dad, I could tell him just about anything.

Maybe it was because I'd promised Bella I could get this done. She'd seemed devastated that she'd lost her male subject for her thesis. I knew for a fact that if I'd needed her, she'd have busted her ass to help me. We'd been that way since we'd met in the dorms our freshman year.

I met my dad's now worried gaze and said, "You know Bella's thesis is on human sexuality, right?"

He nodded, his brow furrowing, but he smiled a bit when he spoke. "I do. We've spoken about it quite a few times. It's a smart idea, though a little edgy for some uptight college professors. In the long run, it'll help her with any papers she decides to publish or with couples in the future, not to mention her internship. She's hoping to help couples conceive. That's her specific goal, if I'm not mistaken. Her secondary is sex therapy. But a lot of times that goes hand in hand. It's an honorable and much needed avenue of medicine."

Nodding, I smiled his way. He'd told me more than once that I'd been a miracle baby, that without someone working with them, Mom might not have conceived me. He said they'd tried numerous times prior to me, and it had been heartbreaking. He truly respected Bella's choice.

"She…She lost her male subject, and I promised her I'd help. How fast can you get a full blood screen back?" I asked him, reaching for the paper Bella had reluctantly given me before we'd gone back to our apartment building yesterday.

My dad's eyebrows shot up high, taking the paperwork from me. He opened his mouth but then quickly shut it.

"I know!" I groaned, shaking my head. "I know it's essentially sex on film, but it's just…"

He grinned. "Edward, it's sex on film with a _stranger_."

I raised an eyebrow back at him. I wasn't exactly the pope when it came to my sex life. Though, in the last few years of med school, I'd been so damn busy that I'd had no time for relationships. If I wanted to have dinner with someone, I simply ordered it and showed up at Bella's apartment with it. She was the best, because she understood just how busy I was; hell, she was under just as much pressure.

"Son, are you _sure_?" he asked, leaning on the last word.

"Yeah, I mean… She'd do this for me. She's been my damn test subject for everything _I've_ learned. It's only fair…"

He glanced back at the paper, seemingly noting every test that she needed. "I could probably have a rush put on this. So possibly forty-eight hours? Three days at most, because this is a pretty thorough screening."

"Yeah." I sighed, shrugging my shoulder. "I'm clean, but I guess she needs it on record. She'd asked for a physical, too, but waved it off."

He studied me for a second. "I can do that, too." He set the paper down, tenting his fingers. "You like her, son."

I knew it was coming, but I flinched anyway. "Of course. She's the closest friend I've made at USF."

"That's not what I'm saying, Edward, and you know it." He held his hand up when I started to speak, but he wasn't angry. Hell, my dad hardly ever got angry. "Let me tell you something, okay? And hear me out, because you're about to take on something that could change things. You and Bella are as close as two people could be. I've seen it. You're in and out of each other's homes. You're the very best study partners for each other – which is excellent support, by the way. And you're fiercely protective of one another. You don't see it, but I do. You care a lot about Bella. That being said, you've both also dated, but you rarely shove it in one another's faces. This…" He held up the paper. "This isn't practicing massages or studying for an anatomy test. This is…"

"Just sex." I said it without much conviction, but I nodded.

He smirked, something I'd gotten from him. "How long since the last time you've been out with a girl? Someone other than Bella?"

Wrinkling my nose, I mumbled, "Two years."

"Why?"

"I'm busy, Dad!"

He laughed. "I know you are, but that never stopped you before."

"I tell you too much," I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest, but his words were starting to make me think things I wasn't sure I wanted to think. "Jesus, Dad… What do you want me to say? That I think Bella's the prettiest girl on campus? She is. That hanging out with her is easier than any date I've ever been on _in_ _my life_? Because it is. And what? What do I do about it? Because she's as busy as I am, and I don't want to mess up her thesis. You should've seen her! She looked scared to death that she was about to lose all her hard work. Her subject flaked out on her at the last minute. And if I push for more and it fucks it up all to hell? Shit, I'll have lost the best friend I've ever had."

Leaning forward, I tapped the paper I'd given him. "I have the capability to get this for her, where the next subject couldn't, so I can do this for her so she won't lose everything she's worked so damn hard for. It's just sex. I'm no virgin, Dad. You and I both know that."

Sitting back in his chair, he sighed. "But she's going to _watch_ you have sex with someone else, son. This is different."

"This is science." I knew the argument was thin, and if this was any other person on the planet, I'd let them sink or swim, but it wasn't. This was Bella, and I couldn't let her fail.

He laughed, his head falling back. "Okay, you know what? You're a big boy, so I've said my piece. It's all on you two, then. C'mon. Let's head down to the lab so we can get your girl her blood tests. Then we'll hit an exam room so I can give you that physical." We stood up, and he gripped my shoulder. " _Then_ you can take me to lunch, and we'll discuss how to keep this from your mother."

Chuckling, I nodded. "Yes, sir."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

The sound of Velcro sounded loud in the quiet, cool morning of the park. I shook my head, eyeing the knee that had stopped me from playing soccer after my sophomore year. Wrapping it tightly, I took a deep breath and stretched out. There had been no surgery, not one second of rehab, and I didn't really miss playing, but I knew guys who'd been devastated at the prospect of never playing sports again due to injuries, not to mention everyday people who needed to learn to reuse muscles after surgery. My own minor sprain had given me my career goal.

I glanced up when I heard the sound of sneakers shuffling through the grass. Jasper Whitlock gave me his trademark grin, all lopsided and lazy. He'd been my roommate in the dorms for a few years. While I'd been pre-med, he'd been pre-law.

"Cullen," he greeted, nodding once.

"Jasper," I said with a chuckle and a fist bump. "You ready?"

"Definitely."

I waited until he'd stretched out, and then we both took off through the long, winding path of the park at a comfortable run. We didn't say much, though we never did. Jasper was a quiet guy and calm. We usually saved our chats for the bench after all was said and done.

The air was crisp, but the sun was beaming down on us. We ran our usual path for about an hour, eventually slowing down for a slow walk to cool off. As we made it to the bench, Jasper finally spoke up.

"I can't stay long." He took a seat, wiping the sweat off his face with his shirt.

Smirking his way, I dropped my own shirt on the back of the bench before I rubbed my knee. "You gotta date better than this?"

He grinned and nodded. "Yup. As appealing as you are, Ed, I've actually had my eye on this girl for a while. And I've finally found the balls to ask her out. We're having breakfast."

"Anyone I know?" I asked, falling down to the bench across from him and raking a hand through my sweaty hair.

"Alice Brandon. She's a Kappa Delta." He laughed at my raised eyebrow. "Yeah, the sorority life was never our thing, but she's different, Edward. A tiny thing. Smart. She's in her senior year, and she's hoping to get a teaching job somewhere here in Tampa next year. Elementary education."

Smiling, I studied his face. "Good for you, man. Hope it works out."

"Me, too. She's been holding back, but I finally got her to say yes." He grinned, wiping his face again with his shirt. "What about you? How's Bells?"

"Bella's great. And I'm not seeing anyone, Jasper. You know that."

"You keep telling yourself that, bud," he drawled, rolling his eyes at me. "You two have more chemistry than the labs you guys have to work in."

I barked a laugh, shaking my head, but I frowned down at my knee brace. I reached down to toy with the Velcro strap. "Fuck, my dad said the same thing."

Jasper chuckled, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees. "Edward, we've been friends a long time, so I know you pretty damn well. You'd fight tigers for that girl. And I know for a fucking fact you haven't gotten laid in like forever. And it's not like you don't have offers."

Snorting, I nodded but then grimaced. "That shit gets old, Jazz. The date, the shallow chatter, the hope that there's more, but there never is. Then comes the disappointment when I have tests and homework and labs to do. It makes me the asshole when we've fucked around and then I don't have time for _more_."

My friend cracked the fuck up, shaking his head. "That's because the _more_ lives across the hall from you. You're there more than you're home…when there aren't tests, homework, and labs. Fuck, dude, I'm surprised you two haven't—"

"No." I laughed, but I met his gaze. "We came close one time. Hell, I doubt Bella even remembers it. Shit, _I_ barely remember it. We were drunk off our asses!" I chuckled again, shaking my head. "It was senior year. We'd just gotten our acceptance letters into med school. We celebrated just a little too much and ended up passing out on her sofa."

It hadn't been the passing-out part that worried me but the waking up. We'd been watching TV but fallen out after a few too many drinks. I'd woken up with my hands everywhere on Bella, and she'd been wrapped around me. Bleary gazes had met, and the realization crashed down on us quickly. She'd felt amazing pressed against me, face to face, her lips so fucking close. Though reality was a nasty bitch, because she suddenly pushed away from me and darted into the bathroom. We spent the next day nursing some seriously ugly hangovers.

"She's hot, Edward, and you flirt with her like you want to… Don't you ever think about it?"

"I'm not fucking blind, Jasper." I grinned and rolled my eyes. "And Bella pushes back just as much bullshit as I send her way. It's what we do."

"I think you're lying to yourself there, Pinocchio." He gestured to his nose, and I flipped him off.

I actually opened my mouth to tell him what I'd volunteered to do for Bella, but then I shut up. I wasn't sure what I could say about Bella's thesis, and I was pretty damn sure I didn't want to hear Jasper's mouth about it, either.

He didn't stick around much longer. He was way too excited for his date. By the time I started back to my apartment, the sun was completely up and burning away most of the crisp January air. I kept my shirt tossed over my shoulder as I opened my apartment door. And I almost tripped over the manila envelope that had been shoved underneath it.

My dad had left a Post-it note on the outside of it. _Son, here's your results of your blood work and physical. Give Bella my best. –Dad_

Without even setting foot into my apartment, I slammed the door closed, spinning around to head to the door down the hall. I knocked, trying the knob, but it was locked, which wasn't unusual for her this early in the morning.

Grinning at a grumpy, just-awakened Bella, I said, "Hello, Swan. Aren't you a ray of sunshine this fine morning?"

Despite her bleary-eyed glare at me, she was utterly adorable in baggy sweats she'd stolen from me, paired with a long T-shirt. I hadn't seen her since our chat in the library almost three days prior. We'd been in class and labs.

"Cullen, it's too early for your half-naked, sweaty, overly cheery self," she muttered, stepping back and letting me inside. "What do you want? I was up working on my paper until like two o'clock."

I held up the manila envelope my dad had pushed underneath my door. Her eyes narrowed but then widened when she saw the hospital logo in the corner, even more when she saw the note from my dad.

"I got your results, Swan," I stated, chuckling when she snatched the envelope out of my hand.

"You haven't even looked?" she asked, ripping open the seal. "I can't believe you got this back so fast!"

Folding my arms across my bare chest, I smirked her way. "I told you I would get them. And no, I haven't looked. I know I'm clean. It's you who needed proof."

She read through my results, her eyes wide. "Your dad rushed this shit. And he got everything!"

"Yes," I said with a laugh. "Yes, he did. He also thinks I'm crazy. Used a big fucking needle, too." I held out my arm where the needle mark was barely visible. "Wanna kiss it? That shit hurt like a son of a bitch."

She rolled her eyes up to mine. "No, you big baby." She knocked my hand away, but she sighed deeply as she read my results again, only to look me over. Her brow furrowed, but she stayed silent for a minute.

"Let's do this, Bella," I told her softly. "You won't lose all your work."

"I told you if you got the results quickly enough, we'd _talk_ about it, Cullen."

I gestured to her sofa, wearing a smirk. "So let's talk, Swan."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… You guys have a million guesses as to how this is going to go. Some come close. Some scare me. ;) Some even questioned my sanity. LOL Either way, I love hearing it.**

 **FYI… I have no damn clue what "Masters of Sex" is, so I can't tell you whether this is mixed with it.**

 **We're back again on Sunday, so until then… Mooches, Deb ;)**


	3. Decisions

**A/N… Still all in? ;) I'll let you get to it…**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 3 – Decisions**

" _Let's do this, Bella," I told her softly. "You won't lose all your work."_

" _I told you if you got the results quickly enough, we'd_ talk _about it, Cullen."_

 _I gestured to her sofa, wearing a smirk. "So let's talk, Swan."_

 **Bella**

Edward plopped down onto my couch, kicking his feet up on the ottoman like he lived there. Rolling my eyes, I sighed. He was in my place more than his own. He was there so much, he had his own coffee mug in the kitchen and favorite shows saved on my DVR, which reminded me that I'd set the timer for the coffee maker.

I glared at Edward, who seemed unfazed by this whole damn thing, saying, "I need caffeine for this conversation, Cullen."

"Share the love, Swan," he said with a grin.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Wearing just a pair of red athletic shorts and his running shoes, he looked to be way more awake than I did. His body was ridiculously fit for someone who didn't play sports anymore, though I knew he still went running with Jasper once or twice a week.

Dropping his test results to the couch, I headed into the kitchen and poured us both a cup of coffee. We drank it the same – cream and sugar – and once I handed his cup to him, I stepped over to my desk to grab my stack of folders.

I sat next to him, set down all my files on the ottoman next to his legs. Fuck, his legs… They were long, muscular, with just the right amount of hair, strong calves, and contoured thigh muscles. Despite the knee brace on his left leg, they looked strong and fit. Reality hit me like a slap to the face that it would be me attaching cameras to this man, a camera that would go where those dangerous thighs ended.

"Christ," I breathed to myself, sipping my coffee. "I really needed more sleep for this."

Edward snorted, but he pulled his legs from the ottoman, sitting forward to look at the files with me. "Focus, Swan, and you can crash out when we're done. What's the next step?"

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him. I sipped more coffee, wishing I could hook the bastard up like an IV.

"Man, you're cranky this morning," he said, whistling low. "Drink the coffee until the demon is gone, Bella."

"Edward, I've had barely four hours of sleep. Just answer the fucking question. Why?"

"To _help_ you," he drawled slowly, as if I were a child. He sipped his coffee but shook his head slowly. "Look, Swan, if you were anyone else, I wouldn't do this. I've never let a girl take a selfie with me, much less record a sexual act, but you've worked really hard to get to this point. I've watched you. It's unfair to lose all that simply because McCarty caught himself a case of the girlfriend."

I snorted into my mug at the way he put that. "Terrible thing, those girlfriends."

His grin was wide, but he shook his head. "No, not normally, but in this case, truly inconvenient."

"True." I sighed deeply, sipping from my mug again. "Okay, so I guess the girl is next."

I pulled out two file folders and set them down. Edward scooted forward to look at the names and the pictures I had clipped to the outside.

"You have a choice, Casanova," I teased him, grinning when he nudged me with his shoulder. "There's Alice Brandon and Tanya Denali."

He took the folders and set them side by side. "Is she in a sorority? Education major?" he asked, and I nodded in answer, but he was already shaking his head. "She's out," he said, tapping the folder on the left.

The girl had been adorable when she came in – petite, dark hair, smart, built like a dancer. Alice had volunteered a long time ago, from the post I'd put up in one of the sorority houses.

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ with her, Bella. She's actually pretty cute, but Jasper just told me he's kinda got a thing for her, so…no. She's out. I can't do that to him." He was adamant but looked over at me. "Sorry. Nothing against her, but…"

"If the words 'bros before hoes' comes out that mouth, Cullen…"

"Fuck no!" He laughed, handing back the file. "I'm just not gonna fuck over a friend…literally. If she's gonna cheat or whatever the hell they're doing, then that's on her."

"Damn, she needed the money, too." I tossed the file onto the floor.

"Money?"

"You're getting paid for this, Edward. Didn't you know? Two hundred dollars each."

His eyebrows shot up. "Gotta love funding, huh? Somehow I feel cheap," he said through a chuckle, but his hands covered his bare pecs.

"Whatever," I drawled, pushing Tanya's file to him. "Okay, Tanya…"

Edward's eyes stayed on me for a beat longer, but he finally turned his attention to the other file. Tanya was gorgeous – tall, strawberry-blonde hair, long legs, and breasts that were bought and paid for, I was sure of it. She was that cheerleader, Homecoming Queen, model-type of beautiful that we all wished we'd been in high school and college. However, she was a friend and didn't act at all like the stuck-up bitches we'd all known back in school. She was kind and smart and pretty damn sarcastic.

He sighed deeply, his nose wrinkling a little.

"You don't like her, either?!" I asked through a laugh. "Damn, you're a picky thing. No wonder you aren't dating."

He grinned, shaking his head. He opened his mouth and then snapped it closed. "Does it have to be her? Either of them?"

"You got someone in mind? 'Cause I'm out of options, so if you know someone, then we've got to start from scratch," I told him, bringing my mug to my lips.

"Can't _you_ do it?" he asked, that half smile curling up his handsome face when I choked on my coffee. "Talk about keeping it private, Bella."

"I'm pretty sure that would be biased," I coughed and sputtered out, gaping over at him like he was crazy.

"You need the tests?"

"No!" I laughed. "I had myself tested as a part of the whole thing, but…Edward, no."

"Why not?" he asked, his eyes dropping back to the picture on Tanya's file. "She's hot, but…" He shrugged a shoulder.

"She's actually really cool and funny and not a vapid waste of space like Lauren," I told him, tapping the file.

"You know her?"

"I do. She's an English major. I met her in Lit class my junior year." I picked up the folder, holding it up. "Just meet her. If you don't or can't…" I trailed off, grinning at his scoff. "Then we'll have to come up with someone else for you."

He raised a deadly sexy eyebrow at me.

"No, Edward. Booty call, remember?" I reminded him of our chat in the library a couple days prior, but I shoved him and got up from my couch. I paused a second, looking over at him. "Just meet her. She was all for it when it was Emmett, so maybe she'll change her mind when she sees it's no longer the football player."

Edward laughed, shaking his head, but he held up his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. "Football player."

"Shut up, and get out. I need sleep before class. Meet me in the cafeteria for dinner later. I'll introduce you to Tanya."

Edward stood up, still wearing his crooked grin as he slung his T-shirt over his bare shoulder. Muscles and skin and abs that tapered down and disappeared into the waist of his shorts caused my brain to go a fuzzy for a moment. Or maybe I just needed more sleep.

"And if she doesn't work out? What then, Swan?" he asked, and he stepped closer to me, moving slowly.

"Then we'll have to work fast, Edward." I sighed, setting my coffee down on the kitchen counter and rubbing my face. "Maybe your dad can rush another set of blood tests," I mumbled behind my hands but pulled them away.

He nodded, the smile slipping off his face, but his eyes darkened as he looked me over. "I still think it should be you." Before I could argue or even roll my eyes at him, he moved, trapping me between his arms on either side of me braced on my kitchen counter. "Before you get all cranky and clinical, Bella, hear me out." He lowered his head so that we were eye to eye. "There's the convenience side of it: you're already tested. But there's this, too." He gestured between us, only to prop his hand back on the edge of the bar. "We're friends. We're comfortable together. And you…"

"What about me?" I whispered, not really wanting to know what he was going to say, but his tongue dragged along his bottom lip so slowly that I stopped to watch it.

"Fuck, you'd be…so damned beautiful and sexy on camera, Bella."

My brow furrowed, and I swallowed nervously. "Why are you saying this?"

He huffed a laugh, squeezing his eyes closed and shaking his head slowly. "I don't know, but… Don't you… I mean, don't you ever _think_ about it?"

When his piercing green eyes opened to mine, I froze, not answering or even speaking. Yes, I had thought about it. I'd thought about it more than I should have, because I'd labeled him perfect ages ago. But no one was perfect, right?

"You do, don't you, Swan?" he whispered, his gaze raking all over my face. "If you didn't, you wouldn't be shaking right now."

"Edward, please," I pleaded in barely an audible whisper. "Just…"

He sighed and pushed away from the counter, but he did something he'd never done. He dropped a heavy kiss to the middle of my forehead.

"Okay, okay. I'll meet you later. Just let me know what time," he breathed against my skin, leaving heat and chills behind when he stepped away.

I stood frozen to the spot where the counter was the only thing that was keeping me upright as he walked toward my door. The clinical side of me was eyeing him, measuring him up for the test we needed to record – how he'd look on film, how smooth and perfect his skin was, and how his body would be exactly what the test required. The friend side of me was angry that he was suddenly pushing these boundaries that we'd had since we'd first met – those unspoken boundaries that had carried us through four years of undergrad work, two years of med school, and countless bad relationships and dates. But the girl side of me – the woman who had silently soaked in the sight of him all these years, not to mention hadn't been touched by someone other than herself in so long it was scary to calculate – shivered at the heat his lips had left behind. I closed my eyes to ward off what the sound of his words had made me feel. Though, they snapped open when the sound of my door closing met my ears.

I felt raw and exposed, and I had neither the time nor the pleasure of testing whatever it was that he was doing. I needed to get this done, because this test and the thesis I had to write was my life, my career in the making. I needed it perfect and unbiased, and I needed to approach it without trembling hands and whatever these feelings were that were clouding my head.

When I felt I could walk without my knees giving out, I grabbed Tanya's file and my phone, sending her a text that I needed her to meet me at the cafeteria later today.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Edward**

"Ready, Mr. Sherman?" I asked, kneeling in front of the elderly gentleman and helping him situate his feet flat on the floor. I glanced at the clock, noting I had just a few more minutes left at the rehab clinic.

"Got a hot date, Ed?" he asked, planting his arthritis-misshapen hand on my shoulder to pull himself up to a shaky standing position.

Grinning, I shook my head, though that was a lie, I supposed. "I guess you could call it that," I sighed, but I shrugged my other shoulder. "It's actually really complicated."

He laughed, glancing across the workout room to the elderly lady sitting in a chair along the wall. Mrs. Sherman came to every therapy session with her husband, who was recovering from a recent minor stroke.

"If it's real, it's never complicated, son," he stated wisely, but he eyed me shrewdly. "Though, you kids these days do everything ass-backwards. Sex and kids first, then marriage, and by then, the paper is damned worthless. Tell me a kid like you hasn't got a 'baby momma.'"

Chuckling, I shook my head. "No, sir." I guided him toward his wife. "I just have a…a…"

"Spit it out, Ed."

"I have a friend, and I think…there's _more_ there or that there could be more."

He stopped, tilting his head up so he could look me in the eye. "You one of them…homosexuals? My grandson is, just got married, too. A fine young man, a lawyer!"

Laughing at his proud smile, I shook my head. "Far from it, Mr. Sherman. My best friend is a girl, and—"

"Ahh, yeah," he said with a lopsided smile. "Those are the best ones. Those are the ones you keep. You marry your best friend, and you're set for life, buddy. Trust me on that one." He gripped my shoulder with one hand and pointed shakily toward his wife with the other. "See that beautiful girl across the way?" When I nodded, he gripped my shoulder again. "Knew her my whole life, neighbors, classmates, and when I went off to Korea, she was the first letter I received and the last letter I sent home." He nodded once. "Best friends, Ed, mark my words, they're the keepers. None of this… _dot com_ mess."

"You make it sound simple."

"It _is_ simple," he argued. "What's so hard about it? She with someone else?"

I shook my head. "No, sir." I paused a moment for him to rest and for me to sort out how I'd explain. "I have to do something with someone else, but…I'd rather—"

"What's this girl's name?"

"Bella."

"You'd rather do this _something_ with Bella," he surmised. "Then I don't see the problem."

"I told you it was complicated," I said with a harsh laugh. "She thinks she shouldn't, when really, she'd be perfect. Hell, she is pretty damn perfect anyway."

He chuckled. "You're done dealin', pal. It's still not complicated. Make her see she's perfect…and not just for whatever this _something_ is, because your face tells me you think she's pretty important."

"What if I push too hard?"

I had no idea why I was discussing this with the old guy, but he'd always been one of my favorite patients I worked with at the clinic. I'd dealt with jocks recovering from surgery, and I'd helped with massage therapy for back injuries, but he was different. His attitude was optimistic and happy. Despite his stroke and slowly deteriorating physical issues, his mind was sharp as all hell. And he still looked at Mrs. Sherman like I looked at Bella, never mind that they'd been married for probably fifty damn years or more.

"Don't push. _Tell her_. Say it all, and let her make the decision."

I stayed quiet as I helped him the rest of the way, thinking of Bella's reactions to me, to my words, and to my suggestion that she should be the one in the lab the day of filming instead of some girl in a file folder. I could see it all over her face, sense it in how she'd frozen like a deer in headlights. I knew Bella. When she was impatient or angry, she was sharp-tongued and snarky. When she was nervous, she'd freeze up and get quiet. I'd made her nervous, not mad. And that was the only thing that made a smile curl up my lips as I helped Mr. Sherman into his wheelchair.

"Ah, the boy has a plan to get his girl."

Grinning, I shrugged. "We'll see. C'mon, Mrs. Sherman. I'll help you get this troublemaker in the car," I teased them both, chuckling when she laughed lightly.

Once I put away my stuff and signed out, I grabbed my things from my locker and made my way across campus to the cafeteria. I didn't even bother to change out of the scrub-type uniform I had to wear at the clinic a few times a week, which went toward my lab/intern hours. I was happy to be done for the day and eager to see Bella, despite this Tanya I was supposed to meet. It was that last thought that made me groan to myself.

I'd spent the last two years avoiding the whole dating thing because I couldn't stand the empty one-night-stand feel of shit. And now I'd not only volunteered to have sex with someone I didn't know, but I'd have to do it on camera. Fuck, I hadn't been kidding Bella when I told her that she'd make the better replacement, because I was a hell of a lot more comfortable with her. But the reality was that I _wanted_ it to be Bella. Between my dad's lecture and Jasper's teasing, I realized somewhere along the way, I'd fallen for my best friend.

Maybe it had always been there. Maybe the reason I preferred to hang out with Bella was that she was who I'd rather be with than some random hot girl from one of my classes or someone I'd met in a bar somewhere. I didn't need to date, because it felt like I was already taken. The only thing that was missing was…sex.

"Well, fuck," I sighed to myself, shaking my head as I walked down the sidewalk through campus.

The only thing that gave me any sort of comfort was that Bella didn't date either.

The weather was dreary and overcast, bringing with it a sharp chill in the air. It would rain soon, and the temperature would drop tonight. Well, drop as much as it did in a Florida winter.

The cafeteria was a cacophony of noise and laughter and smells when I walked through the doors. The food line was loud, with chatter and clanging pans. The scent of pizza and coffee and something sweet was thick in the air, and there were students gathered at tables, laughing and talking, not to mention a few by themselves with books open, pens in one hand and food in the other. College was a busy life.

I gazed around the room, my eyes landing on the person who had been on my mind all day since I'd knocked on her door that morning. Bella, while adorable in my sweats having just woken up, was deadly in a pair of tight jeans and a blue, form-fitting thermal shirt. She was sitting with a girl who was getting all sorts of attention from all over the cafeteria. Guys were practically drooling in their plates over the strawberry-blonde girl with the big tits. I understood it, because there had been a time in my life I'd have probably done the same, but really, the brunette next to her outshone her in every damn way. And they couldn't be more different.

Bella was petite, while Tanya was tall. The former had long, dark-brown locks that hung down her back and around her shoulders in a natural way, and the latter looked like she spent quite a bit of money on not only the style but the color, too. Bella rarely wore makeup, except around her eyes, but she didn't need it. Tanya was currently powdering her nose.

Sighing deeply, I made my way across the lunchroom to set my backpack down on the bench across from them.

"Swan," I greeted, smiling when she glanced up at me.

"Cullen." She took in my uniform. "Oh, shit. You had clinic! Did I pull you away?"

"Nah, I was done."

Mentally, I braced myself to meet this girl sitting next to Bella, so when I took a seat, I smiled across the table, reaching out a hand.

"Edward Cullen," I introduced myself.

"Tanya Denali," she answered, and something about her wry smile told me that she knew _way_ more about me than I did about her. When she glanced to Bella, she raised a deadly accusing eyebrow. "You didn't say it was your Edward."

My brow furrowed at her description of me. _Your Edward_. I snorted, looking to Bella, who looked rather uncomfortable, but she sniffed once and smirked at Tanya.

"Emmett McCarty flaked out on me, and Edward was nice enough to volunteer." Something cold crossed Bella's features as she turned to her friend. "Now, if you're still in, the pay is the same, and we'll schedule a meeting so that we can have a…a…"

" _Dry_ run?" I suggested, plastering an innocent smile on my face, which caused Tanya to crack the hell up.

"As opposed to…a _wet_ one?" Tanya added, still chuckling. "Which is the point of your whole experiment, right?"

Bella sighed, glaring at the two of us. "I was going to say dressed rehearsal, Cullen."

"Relax, Swan," I told her, grinning her way. "If you take this all too seriously, you're gonna pop an aneurysm or something before it's all over. You still carrying the cranky demon from this morning?"

"No." She pulled out her notes. "If you two are in, then I need to book two lab dates. So…here," she said, dropping a calendar down in the middle of the table. "Pick the dates you want and let me know. I need more coffee."

Something about her demeanor was off, and I followed her movements as she left the table and walked over to get in line for the coffee bar. I turned back to Tanya.

"It's not about me, is it?" she asked perceptively, but her smile was friendly and kind, if not a bit sarcastic. When I opened my mouth to say something, she held up her hand and laughed lightly. "Save it. I've known her too long and heard more about you than you could imagine, but now that I've met you…" She sighed, looking to where Bella was still in line. "I asked her why she wasn't the one doing it."

"Me, too," I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Did she give you the bullshit about being biased?"

"Yeah," I said with a laugh.

"She's very stubborn, Edward, but I'm willing to bet you know _all_ about that." She leaned on her elbows, her eyes drifting past me at someone who waved her way. "Look, I get it. If you're not comfortable with me, there'll be no hard feelings. Honestly, it's just…"

"Just sex," I finished in a whisper, which was exactly what I'd told Bella when I told her I'd help her out with this video.

"Exactly. No strings, just us helping our girl out." When I chuckled and met Tanya's gaze, even her own expression wasn't buying it. She knew. She either could tell how I felt about Bella, or she'd picked up on it with whatever Bella had told her, but it didn't matter now; we were all pushed for time.

I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands and raking them through my hair. "I can't let her lose her work. She's so fucking close to being done. I promised I'd help her."

"Yeah, _that_ I get, too." We both sighed, but she tapped the calendar with a questioning expression on her face. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I think we're committed."

"I should be committed," I muttered wryly, and she laughed and nodded in agreement.

"If I didn't see how you looked at her, I'd be offended," she snarked, wearing a grin.

"Don't," I told her, holding up my hand. "You're a beautiful woman, and half this room would hate me for what we're about to do."

"Thank you," she said, but she rolled her eyes, shrugging a shoulder, and she tapped the calendar one more time. "For Bella?"

With a deep sigh, I slipped from my chair to the one next to hers, and we pulled the calendar to us to work around school and work schedules. She worked part-time as a bar-back at a club down in Ybor on the weekends, and I had classes and my shifts at the clinic to account for, so we picked the _dry run_ – which started immature laughter all over again – for a few days away. The filming was three days after that. We knew Bella needed enough time to splice all her footage and edit in the commentary, not to mention crop out faces.

By the time Bella came back with her coffee in hand, Tanya and I stood up from the table, and she hugged me, whispering, "Tick-tock, tick-tock, Cullen. If you change her mind, I wouldn't be shocked…or offended." She handed me a piece of paper with her phone number on it as she raised an eyebrow at me before she hugged Bella and left the cafeteria.

I sat back down next to Bella, who was noting the dates we'd picked, but I reached over and gently tilted her face my way with my fingers beneath her chin. "Swan, you okay?" I asked, frowning at the dark circles beneath her eyes. "You didn't crash back out this morning?"

She shook her head, but she stayed quiet. "No," she mumbled and then broke out into a wide yawn. She put all her things back into her bag but paused for a moment and met my worried gaze.

"Thank you, Edward. For doing this." It was a true and sincere statement from her, but she was still off a little. "I knew you'd hit it off. You two are kinda perfect together," she said softly, and I frowned at that coming from her, because I wasn't sure what she'd meant by it.

"I made you a promise, Swan." I shrugged a shoulder, because I really wanted to tell her just how beyond perfect she was, not Tanya. "C'mon, Bella, give me your keys. I'll drive us home, and you can bring me back for my car tomorrow sometime."

She dropped her keys into my hand. "Okay."

Mr. Sherman's words about telling Bella what I felt, along with Tanya's push to change her mind, rattled around in my head the whole walk to Bella's car and the short drive home. I wasn't sure what could be done – Bella was very headstrong about her thesis – but I knew I had to do something, because the thought of having sex with Tanya did nothing for me, and the thought of having sex with Tanya _in front of Bella_ freaked me the fuck out. So I knew I needed to do something. I just wasn't sure if it would work.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… As Tanya said… tick-tock, tick-tock…filming day is getting closer and closer. ;)**

 **BTW, Mr. Sherman – well, his speech pattern anyway – was a bit of my dad. Especially the whole Korea thing… ;)**

 **Okay, I'll be back Wednesday for the next update. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)**


	4. Dry Run

**A/N… Edward's got a huge bunch of cheerleaders. LOL I like it. And I'll let you get to it.**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 4 – Dry Run**

 **Bella**

The lights of the lab room flickered on and hummed softly when I walked in. I was using one of the rooms normally used for sleep studies. The bed was already in there. I just had to set it up the way I needed it. I was going to test the camera angles today at the same time I walked the subjects through the test. The only cameras I wasn't going to use were the ones that were going to be attached on the subjects' person.

Subjects.

Shaking my head at the word, I opened my bag to pull out the files I needed. I had no choice but to refer to Edward and Tanya as that, because seeing them in the cafeteria three days ago had been shocking. They were both gorgeous, so on camera they would be perfect. They'd gotten along well, so I was hoping their chemistry would work to the experiment's advantage. But seeing them, watching them at the table while I stood in line for coffee had been…difficult.

I hadn't been expecting the feelings that had washed over me when he'd made her laugh, when she'd made _him_ laugh, and when he'd moved from his chair to the one closer to hers as they chatted quietly together. I shouldn't have been surprised that Tanya liked him, because he was all sorts of charming and funny and flirty. I shouldn't have been surprised that he found her attractive. Hell, most of the guys in the cafeteria had been just about to fall over themselves to look at her.

I wanted to chalk the rush of jealousy, the feelings of being discarded, and the immediate sense of _wrong_ up to the lack of sleep I'd had that day, but it had been three days, and those feelings had not dissipated. And I'd barely spoken to either of them.

We'd all had classes and jobs and clinics to attend, but I was pretty sure that Edward and Tanya had exchanged phone numbers that day in the cafeteria.

Sighing, I set up the few standup cameras, running the cables to my laptop. I wanted to make sure every angle was accounted for, along with focus and zoom. I was going to do my damnedest to make sure the faces of this experiment were blurry. Who they were wasn't important; it was what they were doing and the resulting reactions that mattered most.

Kneeling down, I ran the cables underneath the raised hospital bed, but the sound of my phone and a knock on the door, which opened and closed, caused me to come up too quickly, bumping the shit out of my head.

"Ow, fuck," I hissed, sitting back on my knees and rubbing the top of my head.

"Damn, Swan. You okay?" Edward asked softly, crouching down in front of me. Pulling my hands away, he sighed. "Bella, let me see."

"I'm fine, Cullen," I mumbled, frowning as I eyed his scrub uniform instead of his face. He had to have just left the clinic.

"I'm aware of just how… _fine_ you are," he said, his voice a deep tenor, and he lowered his face until I had no choice but to look into those bright, teasing green eyes. Grinning, he brought the crown of my head to his lips, and I squeezed my eyes and fists closed at the feelings that shot through me. "You may have a small bump, but I think your head is hard enough to survive, Swan."

Snorting, I rolled my eyes. When my phone alerted again, Edward stood up and offered his hand. I took it, and he tugged me to my feet.

"That's probably Tanya," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair. "She's running late. Something about a flat tire."

"And you didn't stop to help her?" I asked with a laugh. "Chivalry is officially dead, Cullen. You just killed it."

"She's all the way on the other side of town, Swan, and she'd already called someone to fix it. One of us should know what we're doing when we film this thing. It isn't about not wanting to help her, silly girl. She told me to go on ahead of her." He chuckled softly, and I noted it seemed to be a nervous laugh.

With a furrowed brow, I walked to the table where my phone was, sighing deeply when I saw that he was right.

"Well, damn. I only have this room for so long today. It was only supposed to be a practice run, a walk-through, of sorts." I dropped my phone back to the table, rubbing the spot I'd bumped on the top of my head as I gazed around the lab.

"So walk me through it."

His voice was deeper, closer, and I could feel that he'd stepped up behind me. I froze, becoming completely still. Taking a deep breath, I debated on just rescheduling the two of them for another day before the filming, but I'd seen the lab schedule, and it was booked up. Despite the warmth of Edward's body behind mine, I thought through what I needed for the video, and in all reality, the male subject was the driving force behind the female's reactions.

"Bella?" Edward called softly, seemingly even closer.

I had a feeling I'd regret this completely, but I turned to face him. "Okay, I'll walk you through it. If she doesn't make it today, then you'll just…have to remember everything the day of filming."

He grinned, looking like the all-American, charming guy I knew. "I'm pretty sure I can keep up, Swan. I have the basics of what we'll be doing under control. I just need to know…what _you_ want." He said that last part slowly, deliberately, and his voice was smooth, like silk and warm honey, making the need to blurt out exactly what I needed almost impossible to ignore, because what I wanted was a long, twisted list of things that I was pretty sure he was an expert at doling out.

But this wasn't about me.

I took a step away from him, pointing to my notes on the table. "We'll be focusing on three different sexual positions, and I'm not really particular as to what order they're done. I also don't need too much time spent on each position, except for missionary."

"Okay, so missionary… What are the other two?"

"Doggie style and reverse cowgirl."

"Christ," he huffed through a laugh, wearing a grin as his head fell back. He shook himself just a bit, raked both hands through his hair, and then faced me. "And why is missionary so important?"

"That's the best position for conception. Most studies have proven that, but I want to film it. We also need to focus on stimulation – yours and hers. Different positions offer different feels, so…" I shrugged a shoulder, pointing to the bed. "I need to show both the penis and the clitoris swollen and engorged. I need to see whether or not nipples stay hard throughout intercourse, so there will be a camera here," I said, dragging my finger down my breast to show the camera would end right at the areola.

Edward's gaze darkened as he watched the path of my finger, but his eyes snapped back up to mine. And I was thankful I was wearing a bra with padding, or he'd see exactly what I was talking about. Just his dark gaze was driving me crazy.

"Bella," he said, walking to me, and he put a hand on my shoulder, turning me toward the bed. "Walk me through it," he whispered in my ear.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could do this.

"I need to know what you want. I need to know what I can and can't do."

I shot a glance over my shoulder to see his face close to mine. "What do you mean?"

He huffed another nervous laugh. "I mean…kissing, touching, dirty talk. What am I allowed to do? And just how do you want me positioned? Physically walk me through it, Bella. C'mon…"

That caused my stomach to clench into knots, but my idiot mouth only said, "The personal cameras have no sound, and the other cameras' audio won't be on the final video, so…say what you want."

"Don't tempt me, Swan," he warned, raising an eyebrow at me. "And the kissing and touching?"

"Kissing and touching cause stimulation, too."

He inhaled deeply, and I felt the exhale slowly against my hair. He smelled amazing, though he always did – a light touch of cologne or aftershave, whatever soap he washed with or detergent he used on his clothes, and the very faint scent of leather from the seats of his car. I wanted to drown in it. I wanted to know if every inch of his bare skin carried all of that sensory overload, too.

Before I could voice that curiosity or step away from him, he guided me closer to the bed.

"Okay, so if it were me," he started, his voice low and raspy, "I would start here."

He lifted me to the edge of the hospital-style bed, which was raised a little. I'd flattened it out but left it up for filming and camera placement. He was standing between my legs, holding my hips gently yet firmly, as if he knew I would run away. And I was damn close to bolting from the room with everything I felt as he loomed in front of me.

"Edward," I breathed, gazing up at him.

"Shh, Bella," he whispered back, his lips meeting my forehead. "So I'd start here. Maybe some kissing, some touching."

His hands traveled up my sides and back down, never really crossing any boundaries, but I could feel his long fingers everywhere. They spread the expanse of my ribcage, never mind how close they came to cupping my ass. His forehead dropped to mine, and his lips were so damn close.

"That okay?" he asked.

I nodded stupidly. "Yup."

He smiled and nodded, too. "Then what? Will the cameras already be on us?"

"Yeah," I whispered back. "I may have to adjust them with each position, so whatever is easiest for you."

"I think I'd start with reverse cowgirl, so…" He stepped out from between my legs to the side of the bed, taking a seat. He swung his long legs up onto the bed, opening his arms for me. "C'mere, Swan."

"You're an ass," I said through a laugh as he grinned widely up at me. "All right, hang on. Might as well test these cameras. Don't move there, sweet cheeks."

As he laughed softly, I walked around the bed, turning on the handful of cameras I'd set up. I spun the laptop around to verify that everything was working and in focus. Once I was back to the side of the bed, he patted his lap playfully.

"Cop a squat, beautiful."

Shaking my head and steeling my nerves, I climbed up on the bed, swinging a leg across his hips to plant myself on his lap, my back to him. I felt those strong hands once again on my hips.

"See, I think starting this way works best," he stated, trailing his fingers down my spine, and my skin broke out into gooseflesh. "From here," he continued, sitting up behind me, "I can shift us into the doggie-style position. Does that work for you?"

Before I could answer, I found myself manipulated onto my front, with my head at the foot of the bed and a warm, strong body lining up behind me. I tried to nod, but everything started to feel different. There was a tension between us that wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but it was thick in the privacy of the room. Edward's body started to shift closer, pressing me down into the bed, and the muscles of his arm braced by my head flexed and rolled as he held himself up. Even more was the fact that his scrubs weren't hiding what he was feeling. My hips instinctively lifted back, and the most amazing and glorious sound escaped him, right in my ear.

"Fuck, baby, you feel good, and you're not even naked." His hips pushed forward against my ass just a bit. "So I take you like this, right?" he asked, and I wanted to correct him that it would be Tanya, not me, but he shifted again, grinding into me from behind. "But you want the finish to be face-to-face, yeah?"

Before I could correct him about any of it, his free arm slipped beneath me and turned me over so that I was gazing up at him. I wasn't prepared for it. I wasn't expecting the feelings of want and need at the sight of him looming over me. Edward's brow wrinkled a little, and I wondered if he felt it, too, but he didn't say anything as he lowered himself between my legs. Sweet Jesus, he was hard, and the thin fabric of his scrub pants didn't hide that fact, nor did he seem embarrassed that he had an erection. And I felt it all, despite the jeans I was wearing.

Edward licked his lips slowly, biting down hard on his bottom lip and his gaze raking over every inch of my face. "Fuck, you're beautiful like this. I still think _you_ should do this, Bella," he whispered, his hips shifting forward and beginning a rhythm I wasn't sure he was aware he'd started. "I've never been so hard, baby. And I can't fathom anyone else doing this to me."

I closed my eyes, my breathing picked up, and I wrapped my legs around him. I couldn't stop myself.

"Tell me this doesn't feel amazing. Tell me you can't see it – me and you, completely naked, just…like…this…" He trailed off, but his movement didn't stop.

He was grinding just right, bringing me closer and closer to an edge I wasn't sure should happen. When I opened my eyes, Edward's face was so close. His lips were _so close_. We were sharing the same breaths, and I was just about to touch my mouth to his when the sound of knocking on the lab door made me just about jump off the bed, but Edward pressed me down, holding me there.

"Wait, wait, wait," he panted, his forehead falling to my shoulder. "Gimme a second, Bella." A nervous laugh escaped him. "Shit." His voice came out in a hiss. "Jesus, Swan…please reconsider. Tanya's cool and all, but I doubt she could… _stimulate_ me as much as you."

I closed my eyes at the sound of pure sincerity coming from him, and I was grateful he was still hiding in the crook of my shoulder.

"Why?" I asked, because I was too wound up to articulate much more.

He sighed deeply, pulling his face from my neck. His hair was a wreck, but his eyes were clear green and wary. Something completely shifted in his demeanor. His wary gaze turned warm, if not scared. He didn't move from his spot on top of me, but he reached up to brush my hair from my face.

"I don't know," he stated honestly. "I have no idea when this changed or where it fucking came from, Bella." He shrugged a shoulder as he shook his head. "It just… _is_. But it has to be obvious that I'm not lying." He raised an eyebrow at me as he shifted his hips where his erection hadn't abated at all.

He finally pushed up on his hands and sat back on the bed, grimacing as he tried to adjust himself. We both flinched when a knock on the door sounded again. Sitting up, I swung my legs off the side of the bed and glared down at the floor, and Edward stood up, his feet appearing in my vision.

"Bella, look at me," he requested, his voice raspy and soft. When I met his gaze, he reached up to cup my face. "I'll do this… _for you_." He inhaled deeply and let it out. "But I'm telling you, it won't be anywhere near as good as what we just did together. And we're still fucking dressed. Imagine how amazing that would be on film, just how perfect the stimulation would present itself for your experiment." He lowered his head so that we were eye-to-eye. "I don't want to fuck another woman, but I know you'd lose every-fucking-thing you've worked so damned hard to achieve. And I can't have that either, Bella."

I opened my mouth to counter that, to state impartiality or biased results, but his fingers met my lips.

"Don't. Don't spew that 'biased' bullshit at me, Swan. You know as well as I do that you're going to remove identities from these." He pointed to the cameras. "So who would know, except for the two people in this room? Hmm?"

"Edward, I…"

He smiled, nodding a little. "No, I get it. Up until a few days ago, I would've balked at the idea too, but I'm going to ask you to think about something, beautiful. How long has it been since you've gone out with someone? How long since you've had sex with someone? And then ask yourself why so long? Because I know for a fact that you haven't been out with anyone since Mike.

"I know you feel it, too," he stated firmly. "I can see it in your eyes, feel it when you freeze up, because you get really still when you're nervous." He still had my face in his hands as he leaned in closer. "I won't stop telling you this, either. Not even after this is done." He jerked his chin toward the camera beside us that was still rolling. "But then I wonder if…" He trailed off, his eyes dropping to my lips for a moment. "I wonder if it'll bother you to watch me with someone else as much as it'll bother me to have you watching. Have you really thought that through?"

He studied my face. "Or maybe it's all in my head."

I shivered beneath his touch to my face, because I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to reassure him, but my heart wouldn't let me. Or maybe my cowardice wouldn't let me.

He had to have felt it, because he gauged my reactions for a split second before doing something I never thought he'd do. He kissed me. His lips met mine so softly I could barely feel them at first. It was gentle and sweet. He moved his mouth from my bottom lip to top, only to pull away before it went any further.

As quick and sweet as it was, I felt more with that kiss than any kiss in my entire life. I felt it in my chest and down in my toes, not to mention places in between that were already achy from what we'd just done. And if he could do that to me with just his lips, I couldn't imagine what he could do with the rest of his body.

The knock at the door became impatient and loud, and Edward pulled away. Something about that action was swift and abrupt, like he'd given up, and that made a lump form in my throat when I tried to speak.

"T-Time's up," I whispered, my voice breaking, but I hated and needed the space all at the same time, and I couldn't quite rectify any of it at the moment.

Edward's back was to me as I slipped down off the bed and started switching off the cameras. When he finally faced me, he wore an easy smile, but his eyes were tight.

"I'll be here Saturday, Swan. Just…" He tilted his head a little. "Just think about what I said, okay?"

Nodding, I whispered, "I will," as I continued to clear up the room, not looking his way as the door clicked closed behind him. I even heard him tell whoever was waiting outside that he was sorry we ran over, that we were just about done.

Once I'd rolled up the cords, I tapped the keyboard of my laptop to replay some of the footage, simply to make sure it was clear and focused on the right places.

I tried my damnedest not to notice how Edward was looking at me, how the softest, sexiest smile graced his handsome face as he teased me from behind, then rolled me over. I tried not to revel in how turned-on he looked as he grinded against me. But more than all of that, I couldn't deny anything that he'd said, nor could I stop staring at how I'd gazed up at him, wearing the same expression.

"Dammit!" I slammed my laptop closed, quickly packing up the rest of my stuff. I loaded it all up in my bags and left without hardly glancing at the people I'd held up.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

The ringing of the phone was sharp in the darkness of my sleep, but I slapped my hand blindly around on my nightstand, finally landing on my cell. Cracking one eye open, I saw it was my dad.

"Hey, Dad," I mumbled, sitting up in my bed that was completely covered in books, papers, computers, and notes. "Somethin' wrong?" I yawned widely.

"No, Bells. Just checking in." His chuckle was soft over the line, making me a touch homesick. "And they say college kids are party animals."

"Whoever said that wasn't in medical school."

He laughed again. "Ah, kid, I'm sorry I woke you. Kinda early over there, though isn't it?"

Rubbing my face, I sighed deeply and glanced over at the clock. "I must've crashed out while studying. And my sleep is crap these days."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Dad, just working on my thesis, and I'm pretty sure I live in the library. It's getting down to almost time to finish it and turn it in, so…" I shrugged a shoulder. "I mean, I'm doing my lab work tomorrow." I squeezed my eyes closed at that fact, that in a little over twelve hours, I'd be filming Edward and Tanya.

My dad was aware of my future career, but he wasn't exactly the type of guy that was comfortable discussing sex, so he usually hummed and nodded in all the right places when I talked about it. It made me smile, but I was pretty sure my ease with the topic of sex came from my mother, who had been very open with me growing up. Moving from Phoenix to give her space with Phil my stepdad, to Forks to live with Charlie, had been culture shock, but we'd all made it work.

"What's new with you, Dad?" I asked him, getting up from my bed to wander into the kitchen.

"Well…" he started but trailed off, and I could almost see him rubbing his mustache and then the back of his neck. He sounded nervous for some reason. "Jake's getting married."

I laughed. Actually, it came out as a snort into my water bottle. "Yeah? How'd that happen?"

"He and Leah Clearwater down at the rez have been dating for some time now, and she's…expecting."

I laughed again. "Wow…okay. Well, tell them congrats from me."

"They asked me to invite you to the wedding. I believe it'll be around your spring break time."

"Um, Dad? Jake just…stopped calling me. He visited once, went home, and I never heard from him again, except for a pitiful voice mail that told me we were through. So…I can't imagine that my presence at his wedding will be noted."

"Edward didn't tell you?" Dad asked with a laugh. "No, I suppose that young man wouldn't…"

"Tell me what?"

"Jake came to me when he got home from seeing you that one time. He said you all went to some party, that he'd had too much to drink, and he'd almost done something he would've regretted. Edward stopped him, told him to either break it off with you or cheat back home, but he wasn't going to do it with him around. Jake confessed this to me because he thought for sure that Edward would've ratted him out to you. When you never mentioned it, I just figured it was none of my business and you two had broken up."

I huffed a laugh, but something about that caused tears to well up in my eyes. I thought back over those first few undergrad years. Edward had dated, and I'd dated, but we'd always been close. We were both pre-med, so we were together and studying all the time. Slowly, over time, relationships ended, but the two of us remained steadfast. Was that what he was getting at in the lab the other day? That we'd always been…us? And maybe my observations of just how perfect and good-looking I'd always thought he was weren't just attraction. And fuck me, did he feel the same way?

"Dammit," I sighed, swiping at my face. "I don't know whether to punch his face or kiss it."

My dad laughed hard. "I'm pretty sure every woman has said that about every man since the dawn of time."

I laughed with him but shook my head.

"You mean to say, you _haven't_ kissed that boy yet?" he teased.

"Are you Mom now?"

"No, but I figured… Hell, Bells, last summer when I visited, you two were inseparable. I just assumed…"

"No," I said, but it came out like a groan.

"Edward's a good kid, Bella, and he's crazy about you. I liked his parents, too. I actually thought you were in pretty good hands over there."

"He's amazing, actually." I sighed to myself. "I'm in really good hands." I closed my eyes at the memory of actually _being_ in Edward's hands, and I sat down hard on the kitchen stool, letting my forehead fall to the counter. I sat up when there was a beep that I had another call. "Speak of the devil."

Dad laughed softly. "I'll let you go, Bells. Just let me know about the wedding."

"Yeah, okay. Love you, Dad."

"You, too, kiddo."

I swiped my finger over to answer it. "Dad says hello, Edward."

Edward huffed a laugh. "I like your dad."

"Yeah, he likes you, too." It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him about Jacob, but when I thought about it, thought about every time Edward had called Jake an asshole, then it sort of made sense. It made even more sense that he'd have kept it from me, because Edward would've never wanted me hurt.

"I was gonna order Chinese on my way home from the clinic, Swan. Want some?"

"No, Edward. I'm so fucking tired. Dad woke me up when he called. All I want is to go back to bed."

He was quiet for a moment, but I heard the familiar beeps of his car as he got in. "So… I'll see you in the morning, then?"

I nodded, swallowing nervously. "Um, yeah. Definitely."

"Wanna ride together?"

It was right then that I heard it. That _thing_ we did. That ease and comfort that he'd always brought to everything. We bantered back and forth because we were completely comfortable with each other. Neither of us had dated the last couple of years because we had each other for company. Hell, we picked the same floor of the same apartment building when it came time to move out of the dorms. He'd stopped my boyfriend from cheating, and I'd stopped him from taking Lauren back after she'd cheated. Christ, we were already dating. Sort of. Kind of. Technically speaking.

I laughed to myself but had to have come across the phone as sounding crazy, because Edward questioned me.

"I didn't think it was a funny question, Bella."

"No, no…that's not…" I sighed deeply, glancing up at the clock. "No, Edward. I need to run an errand in the morning before I meet you at the lab. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

I could hear his disappointment, and it made me frown, but I wanted to ask him one thing.

"Edward, are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"I'd sound like an arrogant ass if I said no. I'm about to be naked on camera in front of two women. And I'm about to have sex with one I barely know. But I made you a promise, Swan."

I smiled at his description, but I simply said, "I know you did. And it means…so much."

"Yeah, well…like Jasper said, I'd fight tigers for you, so…I'll see you in the morning. Night, Swan."

"Night, Cullen."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

My night was fitful with piss-poor sleep, and it took a long, meticulous shower and an enormous cup of coffee for me to be able to function enough to drive. Thinking, on the other hand, was something I wasn't sure I needed to do at this point.

I pulled into the driveway that the GPS commanded. I'd never actually been there before, but the house was cute. Getting out of my car, I walked up the steps and knocked lightly on the front door.

When it opened, the smirk that greeted me was shameless and slightly confused. "I didn't know you were picking me up for this shit, Bella," Tanya stated wryly, leaning in the doorway.

"I'm not." I held up my hand. "This is yours."

Tanya's eyes narrowed on what was between my first and middle fingers, slowly reaching up to take the two hundred-dollar bills from me.

"You don't have to do it, but I'm paying you anyway."

"What happened? Did Edward cancel? Are you having to scrap the whole thing?!"

I shook my head no. "No, no. Nothing like that. I just…" I looked her in the eye, grimacing a little. It was the slow smile that crept up her beautiful face that made me look down. "I can't… He's umm…"

Tanya snorted softly. "Yeah, he said the same thing and almost as well as you just did." When I snapped my gaze back to hers, she nodded, holding up the money. "I'll consider this hush money, thank you very much, but I swear to God, you're gonna spill eventually on how we got to this point."

Grinning, I nodded and turned back to my car. Then I stopped and looked back at her when she called my name.

"Forget the cameras are there. And know that he'd rather it be you. Okay? Just focus on all that stimulation you're supposed to experience and report."

I groaned about the cameras, but I nodded and got into my car, starting it up and backing out. I had a feeling that after today, my life would change completely. And I wasn't quite sure if I was ready for it or not.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… Edward's got a surprise heading his way. ;) Faith, people… Keep the faith.**

 **This actually is going to end up 8 chapters, the 8** **th** **one being the epi. I'm just about finished with the last regular chapter, so hang in there until Sunday. If I can get finished with the epi soon enough, I'll add an extra update in the routine somewhere.**

 **Until Sunday… Mooches, Deb ;)**


	5. Action

**A/N… Oh…NOWWW you trust me! ;) LOL**

 **Yes, this is early. Yes, Sunday will still post. Consider this a bonus update. ;)**

 **Okay, all you cheering, squeeing, jumping up and down peeps hanging in there from the end of the last chapter…**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 5 – Action**

 **Bella**

The light rumble of the wheels on the rolling case was the only sound in the corridor of the lab as I wound my way to the room. My hands were shaking and sweaty, and I was hoping to use the first few minutes setting up the cameras to prepare myself for what I was about to do.

However, all that was blown out of the water when I stepped into the room.

I fought my smile as I took in Edward leaning at the window at the back of the room. He looked wrecked and tired, worried and stressed out as he gazed out into the overcast morning light. Jesus, he was handsome. Sharp jaw, heavy brow, and broad shoulders gave him a masculine attractiveness, but his long eyelashes and beautiful smile softened that into something altogether different, just pretty. He was in jeans and a T-shirt, looking freshly showered and shaved.

When he looked up, he smiled nervously. "Swan."

"Hey," I greeted, opening my case. "You're early."

He pushed off the window, helping me lift the case to the table. "I've been up most of the night. And I ran this morning, so…" He shrugged a shoulder.

I nodded. It was understandable. My sleep had been pretty bad, too, but I couldn't look him in the eye. I knew as soon as I told him that Tanya wasn't coming, that it was going to be just the two of us, then things would change. And that scared me _and_ made me very happy.

We worked quietly together, and Edward ran cables as I set up the cameras. When I took out the three personal cameras that were specially wrapped up to remain sterile, along with a bottle of lubricant, he came to look over my shoulder.

"Expensive buggers," I said with a soft laugh. "These took up most of my funding."

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling crookedly as he picked up and studied each one. "Pretty high-tech stuff."

"Yeah." I nodded, glancing up at the clock. "They're the same concept as what they use for scoping." He nodded, but I could feel his gaze on me when I walked to the door to turn the lock.

"Bella? What about…" He looked at the clock, his brow furrowing. "Where's Tanya?"

"She's not coming," I whispered, shaking my head and leaning back against the door.

His eyes narrowed dangerously for a split second, and then his eyebrow quirked up. "Why?" he asked slowly, his voice deep yet soft.

"I told her not to."

"B-Bella?"

Everything in him looked like it was boiling just beneath the surface. He froze, tense and nervous. His eyes darkened, but they were filling with curiosity and what I wanted to say was hope. When he started for me, I held up a hand.

"Edward, wait," I pleaded softly.

He stopped a step or two away from me.

"Before we…" I sighed, glancing down at the floor for a moment. "Before we do this, I want to talk. Personal talk. And then… Edward, I need the doctor, the friend who made me a promise to help me finish this. Okay?"

His chest seemed to swell with every breath he took, and he nodded, but he jerked a thumb behind him toward the bed surrounded by cameras. "You're doing this? With me?"

"Yes, but…" I giggled when I was suddenly trapped in the cage of his arms on either side of me up against that door.

"Tell me why, Swan. I want to hear it."

Instead of answering him, I countered with my own questions. "When did you know? And why now?"

He grinned, shaking his head. "I don't know. My dad thought I was crazy when I went for the blood tests, and then Jasper told me that I'd been lying to myself for years. But it all became… _real_ when I realized I didn't want to have sex with someone else. And I damn well didn't want to do it in front of you."

"I don't want to lose us, Cullen."

"We won't."

"I also don't want us to lose focus on what we're striving for, either. There are internships and jobs and—"

"We have time to figure it out, Bella."

He was practically pressing me into the door when I finally met his gaze. They were piercing and green and comforting.

"I didn't want you with her," I finally admitted, my voice sounding vulnerable, but it was the truth.

"I didn't want to be with her. Bella, I haven't wanted to be with anyone in a long damn time. And it took this madness in order for me to come to my senses."

Laughing, my head fell back to the door. "You know, despite our high GPAs, we're kinda stupid."

"Or lazy." He chuckled, pressing his forehead to mine. "What we have is comfortable, Bella. That's not a bad thing. We just… _are_." He brushed his lips across mine, leaving fire in their wake. "Hey, even without this thing we're about to do, I'd still want you. I've always cared about you, I've always thought you were the most beautiful girl on campus, and I never wanted to fuck up what we had, because at the end of the day, I still wanted to be with you – studying, ordering pizza or Chinese delivery, and hanging out on your couch."

"Oh God, me too. And I really don't want to lose that."

"Me, either." He snorted, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Bella, that's dating. We just haven't had sex."

"I know!" I cracked up, and my head fell back to the door again, only this time I felt his smiling lips against my neck. "I kinda hate that this will be our first time, though."

Edward barked a laugh and pushed away from me and the door to study the room, the bed, the cameras. He raked a hand through his hair, and when he faced me again, his eyes were heated and determined.

"We'll do this now, _here_." He pointed to the floor of the lab room. "I'll fuck you hard in front of these cameras in every position you want. I'll show you… _stimulation_ , Bella, but when we're done here, you're coming home with me…or back to your place, I don't fucking care. But I want to wrap you up in bed for the remainder of the weekend. Do you understand what that means, Swan?"

Grinning, I said, "That you've officially caught yourself a case of the girlfriend?"

Laughing, he stepped closer. "Fuck yes, I did." He braced one hand on the door by my head while the other cupped my face. "I told you that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. But once we're done here, we will start. Us. This thing we were too comfortable to see. Okay?"

"I want that."

"Me, too. So much," he replied softly, gently pinching my chin with his thumb and finger.

"But I'm serious, Edward. I need my friend, the doctor in you, for this. There's a part of this that I know isn't _just sex._ This will mean something at the same time that…" I sighed in frustration. "I can't fuck this up and lose myself in whatever we're about to do. Part of us needs to stay…clinical. This could make or break me."

"I won't let you fail, Swan."

"I know," I agreed, and my eyes stung with the truth of that statement, when I realized what he'd been willing to do for me just to help me. "I'm nervous."

"Me, too." He laughed a little. "For a lot of reasons, but mostly, I can't wait to see you." His gaze raked down my body in a shameless and salacious way. It was dark and heated. But when he met my eyes again as he licked his lips, he said, "You're the director here, Swan, so tell me what and where. I already know what the end result will be. I just need you to tell me what to do."

"Okay." I sniffed a little but stayed still for a second. I knew what I needed to do, and Edward already was aware of the positions that we needed to approach, but sweet mother of God, I wanted one thing. "First things first, Edward."

"What's that?" he asked with a slight laugh and a half smile.

"Kiss me."

The arm he had braced by my head bent at the elbow, his forearm now flat on the door, which allowed him to completely lean into me. He'd teased light kisses now since he'd volunteered for this experiment, but now, I wanted it all.

Edward's mouth met mine, soft and pliant, warm and wet. I was kind of glad I never knew that he could kiss so sweetly, because we probably would've messed this up a long time ago. Top lip, bottom lip, right in the middle – he thoroughly teased over and over, increasing pressure and intensity, until finally, he threaded his long fingers into my hair at the base of my neck to hold me right where he wanted me. With the most amazing, masculine, needy-sounding moan, he claimed my mouth with his tongue. The taste, the flavor, and the feelings that flooded me were almost overwhelming.

It made me grip his jeans at the waist and pull him in closer, and my other hand slipped up his chest and around his neck to rake through his hair. Breaths pushed out against cheeks, and hands started to roam. Something in us snapped or came unhinged, because I was suddenly lifted and pressed almost roughly into the door. We were grinding and grunting, and I placed my hands flat on either side of Edward's face to get his attention.

He pulled back with a gasp, licking his lips. "Jesus Christ," he breathed, gaping up at me.

"No shit," I concurred, just as breathless. I made no move to unwrap myself from around him, but I held him still for just a moment. My head fell back to the door, but I kept my eyes on his face. "We need…" I swallowed to catch my breath. "We need to be undressed."

"That's what I'm fucking talking about," he muttered, which made me laugh when he pulled me away from the door.

He sat me on the end of the lifted hospital bed, and he smiled when I couldn't stop the anxious giggles for a second. Edward's soft touches to my face and even softer kisses to my lips settled me down. He knew I was nervous, and he was trying to ease me into it all.

"You remember what I told you?" he asked, leaning in to kiss my cheek, but he dragged his lips softly down to my neck in order to press long, open-mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin. "I said that I'd start right here, with kissing and touching."

I nodded, toying with the hem of his shirt, but my eyes betrayed me as I glanced over at the sterile cameras and the ones we'd just set up.

"Hold that thought, beautiful." He tapped his temple. "I fucking want you to the point of madness, but I got this. We'll get what you need, but hold off on those cameras for just a second."

There it was. There was the feeling of complete and utter trust that he'd been telling me since the start. We were comfortable together. And he was much more at ease now than he was when I'd walked into the lab just moments before. For a brief second, I wondered if he'd have been this at ease with Tanya. Something told me no. Something also told me that he was going to bring out the absolute best experience for this video, and not because it was for my career but because I was already needy and achy for him.

Edward's hands never stopped moving – up my thighs and sides, down my back, pulling me closer by cupping my ass. Over and over, he moved. His face, however, was pensive, tentative, like he was trying to decide when and where to begin. When his fingers started seeking out skin, my own started to push at his shirt. Keeping a hand on my waist, he reached back, gripped a fistful of T-shirt, and tugged it off over his head. He stepped away just enough to drop it across the chair out of the way.

His eyes were warm and dark, but they were sharp, too, which meant he was assessing and thinking. I didn't want to stop him, but I also couldn't stop myself from reaching out to touch. He was lean, with smooth, warm skin. He'd never been a gym-rat kind of guy, but he was toned. What was even better was that all those muscles clenched up when I trailed my fingers over them, and it made me grin.

"How did I never know you were ticklish, Cullen?" I asked, which made him huff out a laugh.

"Shut up, Swan. You're next," he countered playfully, and his fingers gathered up my own shirt and lifted it up and off me, dropping it down on top of his in the chair. "Fuck," he whispered, sobering up quicker than I'd expected. "Damn, baby…" He shook his head slowly but grinned a little too. "It's hard not to just… _take you_. I want to help you with this, get this so fucking perfect, but you're killing me, Bella." He reached up to glide a finger across the lace of my black bra.

Leaning in, he kissed me deeply, slowly, trying to slow us down, but the very second his whole hand cupped my breast, I let out an almost embarrassing sound of want.

"Bend back, beautiful," he whispered against my lips as he guided my shoulders farther and farther back until they touched the sheets of the bed. He kissed me stupid, looming over me, but pulled away too soon. With a flat hand, he pushed me gently to indicate that I was to stay right where I was. "Talk to me, Swan. Tell me the goal of this video. Keep me focused. Please."

His smile was sweet, if not slightly evil, but his eyes told me he needed us to keep each other aiming toward the same goal.

Swallowing nervously, I nodded, my eyes unable not to keep from watching him as he reached for my sneakers. He dropped those to the floor and then slipped his hands up my legs to my stomach, where his fingers spread wide to touch everywhere at once.

"Goals, Bella," he reminded me, teasing a single finger in my belly button.

"S-Stim-Stimulation," I ground out through gritted teeth as he cupped my breasts over my bra and squeezed gently. "Th-The b-b-best p-position for… _oh fuck_ …" I trailed off when his lips replaced those ridiculously talented fingers on the skin of my chest and stomach. "C-Conception," I finally blurted out.

I wanted to curse him the fuck out when I felt his smile on the sensitive skin just above my hip, but he asked a question I wasn't expecting.

"You want kids, Swan?" he asked, pulling back a little in order to reach for the button of my jeans. He tugged it until it popped open, and his gaze shot up to meet mine. "Do you?" he asked again, and I nodded.

"Eventually," I whispered, lifting up my butt so he could take my jeans completely off.

"Good," he mumbled back, but his eyes left my face as he dropped my jeans onto the chair that was slowly collecting all the clothes. "Jesus, did you… Have you always… Fuck, Bella, have you always worn this shit under your clothes?! Like this whole fucking time?"

I couldn't help my giggle; it erupted out of me as I covered my face, but he was way too cute all flustered.

"Um, no. Not always," I answered.

"But sometimes?" he verified, and I opened my eyes when I felt the bed shift, only to see him looming over me.

"Yeah, Edward. Sometimes I did."

"Fuck, I wish I'd known." He grinned when I laughed again, bracing an arm by my head. "Like the whole time we were eating Chinese or drinking beers or studying, I could've been eye-fucking this shit all over your apartment."

"Yeah, you could've," I agreed just to hear him groan.

"Oh, we're doing that when we're done here," he vowed aloud but more to himself than me. He settled between my legs for just a moment. "I know we need to get the cameras on, Bella. Tell me what you need."

Nodding, I pointed to the still-wrapped personal cameras. "Those go on us. That middle one goes inside me. The one on the end goes here," I said, following the strap of my bra, indicating my nipple. "That last one goes on you."

He nodded, pushing up and away from me. He stood up off the bed and grabbed all three, eyeing the small bottle of lube. "And this?"

"To help with the internal camera."

He scoffed, shaking his head as he threw the bottle into the garbage can. "Oh, I don't think so, Swan. I _think_ …" he started slowly, walking to me. "I think we can come up with a way to… _stimulate_ you enough not to need that shit."

"Arrogant, aren't we?" I teased him, sitting up a little on my elbows.

"No, just fairly certain I know a way to get you ready." He reached for me, and I sat up again. He cupped my face, kissing me to the point of distraction, and I felt my bra fall loose. When he pulled back, he whispered, "Lie back again, beautiful." His eyes were dark as he gazed at my breasts for the first time.

He set the cameras down beside me, leaning down to drop long, open-mouthed kisses to my stomach as his eyes watched my face. His fingers slowly gripped the sides of my black underwear, and I lifted up for him to be able to pull them completely off me.

Edward said nothing for a minute as he gazed down at me. His hands soothed my thighs, slowly slipping between them to force them open. He licked his lips, leaning over to ghost them along the same trail as his fingers.

"I'm going to taste you, Bella, make you come with my mouth." He pressed a kiss to my clit, and my hips shot up off the bed. "I'll do this first to relax you, make you wet enough to handle that camera and then my cock. Then… _and only then_ …will we start this video. Okay?"

He didn't give me a chance to answer; instead, his tongue swiped through my folds, and a string of curses left my mouth.

"Mmm, and you're already swollen and wet, baby," he murmured against my pussy. "I think we can do so much better."

He was done talking. His mouth met my center with a purpose and a talent I wasn't expecting. My back arched up and my hips practically rode his face as his tongue caused my brain to completely stop working. He'd suck on my clit, rolling his tongue over it until I was so close to coming I was practically shaking, and then he'd fuck my center, tasting me, teasing me, only to start all over again.

"Edward, please, please, please…"

He hummed against me, sucking my clit into his mouth again at the same time two fingers slipped deep inside me, working me, stretching me. My eyes rolled back into my head, my fists gripped the sheets and his hair, and my ass lifted up off the bed as I completely unraveled. He let me grind against his face and ride his fingers, humming encouragingly and soothing a hand over my stomach.

When Edward finally pulled away from me, he kissed my mound, gazing down at me with a touch of pride but some nerves, too.

"Now, Swan. I think we're ready."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… Next up is Edward's POV, so… I don't know what to tell you in order to prepare for that. ;)**

 **To answer one question that was left by someone that didn't sign in… YES, this type of experiment is very much real and if you Google carefully – and I do mean** _ **carefully**_ **– then you can find the original video that started this wicked plot bunny. I saw it first on a FB page called** _ **I Fucking Love Science**_ **. So you can start there. However, since starting this, I've seen way more than I'd anticipated – sex in a MRI machine, and it is** _ **way**_ **more disturbing than this one, which is sex from the inside. I personally am not the same, but feel free to scope out the World Wide Web. May the Force be with you. O_o**

 **To answer one more… Why did I pick Tampa? Because I lived there for about 12/13 years, and I still don't live far from there now. But I like using Florida occasionally.**

 **As of right now, I'm working on the epi, so the posting schedule remains as Sunday/Wednesday from this point on. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)**


	6. That's a Wrap

**A/N… This is undoubtedly…NSFW (not safe for work or school or the train…LOL). ;) But I'm not even sure you're listening at this point. LOL Go on…**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 6 – That's a Wrap**

 **Edward**

It felt like a dream. Seeing my best friend, the one person I never thought I'd have not only naked but coming down from the orgasm that _I'd_ given her. And sweet fuck, she was more perfect than I'd imagined.

I'd be a damned liar if I'd said I'd never thought about Bella like this. However, I chalked it up to being a guy, to being a guy who hadn't gotten laid in ages, but really I'd been imagining it because she was who I truly wanted. And that thought had my brow furrowing as I gazed down at how fucking stunning she was completely bare in front of me as I licked the heady flavor of her off my lips.

"Bella, I need… You gotta help me focus," I said with an incredulous laugh.

She nodded, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed. She reached for the cameras and then pointed to her case.

"Grab that roll of surgical tape. We're going to need it."

I did as she asked, and it gave me a second to calm the hell down. I was still in my jeans, but I was harder than I think I'd ever been. But I'd promised her I'd help her with this whole thing, so I was determined to do a good job. The fact that it was Bella and not Tanya just made me all the harder. I stepped back between her legs, taking the first camera from her.

We didn't say much, but we worked together opening and adjusting the camera that would monitor her nipple. With a small smile, I gently rubbed my thumb over and around it, causing it to peak tightly, but even better was Bella's sharp inhale and shiver beneath my touch.

"Fuck, you're so sensitive," I whispered, holding the camera while she placed a strip of tape at the top of her breast and then just below her collarbone. When she draped the cable over her shoulder, I added a few more pieces to her back and shoulder blade.

"Your turn," she stated, pointing to my jeans, but she reached for the button and tugged me closer.

I stayed completely still. I was no virgin, and I had never been ashamed of my body, but something about this whole thing – whether it was being with Bella or being on camera – had me suddenly fidgeting in front of her. I toed out of my sneakers, pushing them out of the way. When the sound of my zipper hit the quiet air around us, I stood still again. Bella pushed my jeans down, and I kicked out of them, which left me standing in dark-red boxer briefs. And I wasn't exactly hiding what all this was doing to me.

When Bella froze, I knew her nerves were getting the better of her, so I took her hands in mine.

"Hey, it's just me."

I guided her fingers to the waist of my underwear, and she slowly pushed them down. My hard cock sprang free, and I stepped out of the briefs to finally stand before her completely bare. Bella froze again, and I tilted her face up to mine.

"Focus, Swan. Don't let the dick scare you." I grinned when she snorted a little and rolled her eyes at me as she ripped open the next camera. "Okay, so where do you want this?" I asked, and I couldn't help but hum at the wry yet wanting look she shot my way. "Damn, baby… Okay, so let me rephrase… Where is the camera going, Bella?"

"Here," she whispered, and my whole body practically crackled with want as she trailed a single soft finger down the shaft of my cock to the base at the pubic bone. "And we'll have to tape the cable around your hip."

My hands balled up into fists and a long hiss escaped me as she continued to touch, to tease. One of her hands wrapped around my dick while the other pulled me closer by my hip. I couldn't decide which to watch – her hands or her face – because both were driving me crazy. She put the camera where she wanted it, applying a small strip of tape just below my hip, but then wrapped the cable around so it would be out of the way and down the back of my thigh.

"We'll have to be careful when we take that off. Your leg hair…" She trailed off and grinned adorably up at me.

I shook my head. "Fuck the hair, Bella."

I took just a moment to cup either side of her face and pull her mouth to mine. Kissing her had become addictive, like a drug. I knew we needed to get this show on the road. I knew the last camera neededto go on and positions needed to be filmed, but now that I'd allowed this out into the universe, I wasn't sure I could stop it. And I wasn't alone, because the way that Bella was kissing me back, pulling at me, touching me in places she'd never even seen… Fuck, I wanted her.

"Ed-Edward," she mumbled against my lips. When I pulled away, she was breathing heavily, which did nothing to stop me from glancing down to those very pretty, very tightly peaked nipples – camera taped to her, be damned.

I inhaled deeply. "Last camera, right?" I asked, trying my damnedest to concentrate.

"No," she replied instantly, shaking her head. "No, we'll save that for the last position." When I came to a stop, she grabbed my face gently. "You remember?"

"Hell, yes. I just…" I swallowed nervously. "Are you sure about the camera?"

She nodded again. "Yeah." She quirked up an eyebrow. "Since this is me involved in the experiment, I can attest to the stimulation from the first two positions, but the missionary position needs to be on film."

"Jesus, how can you _think_ , Swan?" I asked but pushed away from her when she nudged me a little.

She slipped off the bed, carefully maneuvering around with the cable over her shoulder. She chuckled a little, saying, "Because if I don't, I'm going to climb you like a jungle gym, Edward."

"Oh, fuck," I groaned, letting her lead me back to the bed, where she pushed at me until I was sitting. "Seriously? You'd… Have you… Is this something you've thought about?"

I didn't know why I was asking; I certainly couldn't judge her on a fucking thing. Her laugh was soft, but it was the color to her cheeks that made me pull her to me before she could turn on any recording devices.

"Tell me," I begged in a whisper.

"God, yes, I've thought about it." She looked down between us but then focused more on my mouth than my eyes. "You were right, Cullen. I haven't been with anyone since Mike, and I…"

She didn't need to finish; I merely nodded, bringing her in for a kiss. Though, I smiled into it when she pushed at my shoulder to lay me back on the bed. We broke away, and I reclined against the pillows, watching her completely naked form walk around the bed to turn on each camera. She checked the cables attached to our own personal scopes and then eyed the displays on her laptop. When it all seemed to be recording, I saw the shyness return.

"C'mere," I said, holding out a hand, and she took it once she reached the side of the bed. "It's just me and you," I reminded her, smiling as I reached up to brush her hair off her shoulder. "It's also just raw footage. You'll edit it completely, Bella. I have faith that you'll make it beautiful… _and_ scientific." I winked her way with a grin. "That's what _this_ is about – helping your career so that you can help couples in the future."

"I know," she whispered, her brow furrowing a little. "But…"

Sitting up, I pulled her lips to mine for a brief kiss. "But it's not just sex, Bella. I _know_. Trust me, baby, I know. But no one outside of this room has to know that." She stilled completely, and I realized just how that had sounded. "Swan, look at me," I told her, and when those beautiful dark eyes locked with mine, I amended my statement. "No one who sees this video will know just what this meant between us. When we're done here, I'm going to show you off, spoil you stupid, and we'll both sit down and figure out just how we can carve out a future. This isn't just sex for me either, Bella. I promise you that, right now. And guess what? It's all on tape, so if I do something completely idiotic, you can throw this at me someday."

Fuck, her smile – it could've lit up the entire city of Tampa. "You mean that?"

"I swear to God."

Had this been with Tanya, I would've been just going through the motions – a means to justify an end. And the end would've been for Bella to be able to finish her thesis. No more, no less. But now, now with so much more inside that locked lab, I knew that everything had changed. I was about to sink balls-deep inside Bella, and I knew for a fact I never wanted to go back to being just friends. We hadn't even done much, and I knew it.

I leaned in and kissed her again, slowly and deeply. My eyes were still closed as I rested my forehead to hers. "You ready? You're kinda taking the lead on this first position."

She nodded against me, and I opened my eyes as she pushed me gently back. It was awkward guiding her onto the bed without tangling cables or knocking over cameras on their stands. But when her back was to me, her beautiful legs straddling my waist, I couldn't help but reach out to touch, to help lift her and guide my cock to her entrance. Her sweet ass was right in front of me, and I could barely keep my eyes on any of it, because the feel of her sinking down over me, enveloping me completely in warmth and wetness, just about caused me to explode.

"Fuck," she groaned, and her head fell back so far that the tips of her long hair brushed across my stomach. "Gimme a second, gimme a second," she begged in a repetitive soft chant.

I knew it had been a long time for her, so I gave her complete and utter control of the moment. I knew this position would be all on her, and I let her lead. The second she lifted and then sank back down, I was lost to her.

A string of curse words left me at the feel of it all. Just her and that warm, wet pussy and the sight of her back and ass and that long hair. All of it felt so fucking good. She continued up and down, with a swivel of her hips and an almost harsh grip to my thighs as she rode me in that reverse cowgirl position. However, I knew if I didn't take control soon, I'd explode, and we still needed to show the doggie style before I could come.

I slowed her down just a little, sitting up behind her and dropping a long, open-mouthed kiss to her shoulder up to her neck.

"You want to come again, baby?" I asked, my hands cupping and kneading, careful of the camera taped on her. "Or you want to hold it back until we change positions."

"Change, change…"

Nodding against her neck, I wrapped a strong arm around her waist. Carefully shifting onto my knees, I pretty much held Bella's entire weight to me as I moved her to all fours. However, she leaned her front down, keeping that sweet ass up just a little. I winced and she whimpered when I slipped out of her, but I was guiding myself back into her from behind quickly, and that position felt amazing.

"Oh my sweet fuck," I ground out through gritted teeth, bracing an arm by her head.

My free hand simply _touched_. Fingers spread and palm flat, I moved up and down her spine, across each shoulder blade, moving around to cup and squeeze her breast, and I shifted her hair out of the way so I could lean over and put my mouth on her neck, shoulder, anything. My thrusts were deep, and she was working with me, lifting at the same time I'd push.

I could feel her insides clench, but she was holding back. Maybe she was holding back for the last position; I wasn't sure. Just to test that idea, I slipped my hand down her front, my fingers finding her clit.

"Don't hold back, baby," I taunted in her ear. "Stimulation comes in all forms. Touch, words, feel… You can let go, Bella." I felt like a fucking king when I felt another orgasm hit her hard. She muffled it into the bed, but that pretty ass lifted higher as I slowed us down again.

She panted hard, her face smooshed into the bed, and I chuckled and groaned at the same time as I pulled out of her. I was aching to come, but I had to last long enough to perform one more position. I lined up beside her, face to face, brushing her hair behind her ear as she came down just a little.

"Hey, beautiful," I sighed, feeling something deep shift inside my chest at the sight of her. There was a future there, a word I knew I'd give voice to very soon, but not in this lab and not on fucking camera.

"I'm… We need…"

"Take a second, Bella," I told her. "Lord knows I need a minute or I'm going to come the second we change up this last position."

She huffed a sweet laugh, nodding a little, but she pushed up on an elbow to look at me. She reached over with her free hand to rake her fingers through my hair, trail them down my face and along my jaw, and finally, she pulled me in for a kiss.

"Thank you for that," she whispered again my lips.

"I'm not done with you," I vowed, raising an eyebrow at her. "I could feel how neglected that pussy's been." I tsked dramatically, smiling when she laughed a little. "Terrible, terrible thing to let something so pretty go so long without any attention. I do believe I can make up for that, Swan."

"God, I hope so," she sighed back, grinning when I nodded vehemently. "Last camera…" She gestured to the camera that was still wrapped up. "Can you…"

"Yeah, I'll help you." I got up from the bed to get the last camera, and as I opened it, I said, "Get into the position you need, Bella."

I was grateful for the moment to get my shit together. I tossed away the wrapping of the camera and plugged the cable in, but when I looked up to the bed, I shook my head slowly and licked my lips.

"God, you're gorgeous," I breathed, eyeing her from her head where her dark hair was spread out on the pillow, to her heaving chest with peaked nipples, to her legs spread open as her ass rested on a pillow to raise it up.

"You say that standing there like an air-brushed magazine model, Cullen."

My laugh couldn't be stopped. "Any magazine that has pics of cocks isn't airbrushed, Swan."

"Bullshit," she argued with a giggle, rolling her eyes at me, but then we both sobered quickly as I knelt on the bed between her legs. She glanced over to the laptop as she reached for my hand with the camera. "I think… Yeah, just like that."

She was seriously driving me fucking crazy – words, touch, smell. All of her. However, I glanced over to the laptop, and the doctor in me was intrigued as I saw the inside of her pussy. Suddenly, I realized that my dick was going to be on that camera looming in like an invading alien. I shook my head and turned back to her.

"No worries about lube now, huh, Bella?" I asked, touching her clit, her entrance where the cable disappeared, and the wetness all around. "No problems with stimulation either, I see. All swollen and hot and ready for me one last time. And you have to spread these pretty legs wide, baby, because we need to show it all, don't we?"

I was totally talking to keep myself grounded, because when she reached for me, I went willingly, and I could feel the surrender to her. I'd be willing to bet that my face showed exactly what I was feeling on the cameras around us. And I didn't give a damn.

Bracing a hand by her head, I guided myself to her entrance. I moved slowly, mindful of cameras and cables, but I could feel it all this way. The fact that there was no condom had been strange at first, but now I could feel everything. With her hips tilted up on a pillow and that scope camera inside her, I could feel it all. And I'd needed to come already – for what seemed like ages ago – but I needed to hold out a bit longer.

"Open wider, baby," I whispered to her, my brow furrowing in concentration. It was more this way. Just simply _more_. I wanted to drown in kissing her, sinking deep inside her, and I wanted her wrapped around me completely, but we needed to show a bit before we lost our shit.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I held still for moment once I was fully seated inside her. Her hands roamed all over, and her touch was gentle and warm, pulling at me, urging me to move, but not impatient.

When I opened my eyes, I saw overwhelming need and feelings gazing back at me.

"Okay?" I asked her softly, brushing light kisses across her lips. She nodded, but her gaze had a touch of fear there. "You feel so good, Bella. Relax for me. Just feel _me_ , this. Don't worry about anything outside of you and me. Right here, right now."

"Edward…"

"I know." I nodded, pulling back slowly, but I dragged my lips down to her ear, whispering, "This is just the start, Bella. Is that what you want to hear? That this won't end when the cameras stop rolling?"

"Yes," she replied, her face and lips in my neck as she nodded.

"You feel this?" I asked, driving slowly back into her.

"God, yes!" she moaned, her head falling back to the pillow.

"Good, because that's not going away anytime soon."

With that said, I dropped an open-mouthed kiss to her neck and then pushed up on my hands to truly fuck her. Because that's what was needed for the cameras surrounding us. Pure fucking. Though, I vowed to myself that once I got her alone, I'd show her just how beautiful I thought she was, and something told me that when cameras weren't pointed at Bella, she was going to be a force to be reckoned with in bed. She was graceful and passionate and unashamed of her body. Her shyness had stemmed from this just being new for us.

She was stunning, all spread open, working with me, shifting with me. The angle of her hips with that pillow beneath her caused my pubic bone to rub her clit just right with each thrust. And her breasts jiggled with each movement, too, though I noticed that they stayed erect and tight the whole time. These were the things we needed to show for her experiment, but there was a part of my brain that could barely see beyond her pretty face, those dark eyes that gazed up at me, and the feel of her hands all over me.

"Oh, you're close," I said, swiveling my hips to rock deeply into her. "Can you give me one more, Bella?"

Despite the cold air of the lab, sweat was beading on our foreheads, down my back, and along Bella's neck. It was from holding back, but I tilted my hips just right to rub that clit with my pelvic bone one more time, and she completely shattered around me. I was so close already, with every position we'd been in, and I couldn't hold back any longer. I sped up my thrusts, the sound of skin meeting skin hitting the air around us, and finally everything started to snowball on me – my balls tightened, my spine tingled, and my breathing was ragged. I buried myself as deep as I could, losing myself completely. My sweaty forehead met hers, and I panted heavily with my eyes closed. But it was the soft kisses that made me open them back up.

Suddenly, we were kissing like we'd never stop. I was still connected to her, but my mouth met hers eagerly. Warm, wet, soft lips met mine, and tongues swirled together. Bella's arms and legs wrapped around me, and I dropped all my weight on her as we continued to kiss each other stupid.

I finally smiled into the kiss, and I wasn't the only one. When I pulled back just a little, I brushed her hair from her face to see a sweet, warm smile on that gorgeous face.

"I can't go back to being just friends, Swan."

"Me, either."

"Good."

She giggled, reaching up to rake her hands through my hair and then cup either side of my face as I leaned in for another kiss, this one softer and not as intense. My eyes drifted around the room, and I shook my head slowly at the cameras and the sight of us together on the laptop screen.

Looking back at Bella, I said, "This is…" I huffed a laugh, kissing her again. "This is the first, last, and only time we'll do this, Swan. I don't like to share, even on personal videos."

Her laugh was loud and beautiful. "No kidding." Before I could get up, she pulled my face to hers again. "Editing this will be…interesting. Not every girl gets to replay the best sex she's ever had over and over."

"The best!?" I gasped mockingly. "Why, Swan, you do know how to flatter a man."

"Shut up, Cullen. Get off me."

Grinning and holding on to her tighter, I kissed her again and whispered, "I meant what I said, Bella. I want to go back to your place or mine, spend this weekend exploring… _this_. This thing that seems to have always been here."

I was serious when I said that, because holding her right there, despite the cameras that were still rolling, I'd never felt more…right.

That snarky gleam in Bella's eyes lit up her face. "Chinese?"

"Of course."

"I need a shower."

"So do I."

She smirked at my suggestively raised eyebrow, but then she sobered quickly. "We're really doing this, Cullen?"

"We've already done it, beautiful." I laughed when she rolled her eyes. "And I wanna do it again…and again." I waggled my eyebrows, but she looked tentative. "Bella, I've caught myself a case of the girlfriend, remember? I'm pretty sure it's permanent."

"Terminal."

Grinning, I nodded. "Fatal. And I'll die a happy man."

I extricated myself from her embrace but not before getting in one more deep kiss. We separated, and she began to pull the tape off and remove cameras. As I carefully fought tape and hair on my own camera, she got up to begin turning each camera off. We re-dressed and packed up the equipment, and I sat down in the chair to put my sneakers back on when Bella stepped into the bathroom. When I was done, I rested my elbows on my knees, but Bella's feet appeared in front of me, and I sat back to look up at her. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders in a fierce hug.

Without even thinking, I pulled her to my lap, wrapping my arms all the way around her.

"Not that I'm complaining, Swan, but what's that for?" I asked, grinning at her giggle she was burying into my neck.

"Thank you," she whispered against my skin before pulling back to hold my face in her hands. "I could've lost everything I'd worked for."

I shook my head. "Nope. I would never have allowed it."

"I know, but you…and—"

"Bella, look at me," I interrupted her, kissing her lips. "I would've done this… _for you_. I told you that before. I would've gone through the motions to get your video done. Now, what's done is done, and I for one am really happy that it was us. Personally, I think we made it better than football boy or Tanya or anyone else for that matter could've made it. And it's now given me you. I think it worked better than even _you_ thought, am I right?"

She grinned, and it was slow and shy, but it was sexy as all hell too. "Yeah."

"Me, too. Now, let's get your stuff, and we'll go home. We'll leave my car here, I'll just ride in with you Monday, and I'll order Chinese on the way."

She laughed and nodded as she gathered all her things. Before we reached the door, she stopped, turning to look at me.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Edward."

"What's that?" I asked, curious as to what would be giving her that nervous look.

"You want to come with me home for spring break? I'm invited to Jacob's wedding." When I grimaced at the name, she laughed. "And maybe you can tell me all about what happened when he was here…"

Scowling, I shrugged a shoulder and opened the door for her. "I tried to stop him from hurting you. Not sorry he's out of the picture, or Mike, or anyone else for that matter, Bella."

"Or Lauren…" she countered haughtily, grinning up at me and then kissed my lips. "Home, Edward. Let's start us."

I grinned, taking her keys as we made our way to her car. "That's what I'm fucking talking about."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… Originally, this is where I'd ended things, but these two had a bit more to say. So there's one more regular chapter, which will go up Wednesday. I'm still midway through the epi, and I'm hoping to have that finished by Sunday, but if not, then it'll go up when it's all finished. ;)**

 *****IMPORTANT: I just want to take a moment here and give my condolences to the family and friends of Roxanne Levitt (aka Ms Chocoholic24 and co-writer of the fic** _ **Unrequited**_ **). She was only 18 years old and was suddenly taken away from our fandom and her family way too soon by a drunk driver. Take a moment, take a small, quiet moment and remember that this fandom is made up every age, race, creed, and financial status. Please remember that there are human beings behind the monitors, keyboards, and cell phones. We get wrapped up in the petty stuff, in the day-to-day bullshit, in the politics of stuff that honestly just doesn't fucking matter. Take a second and realize that life is precious, that it's made up of a million moments and smiles and laughs and tears, but it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye. Please be kind to one another, because you never know if the words you say are the last words someone hears/reads.*****

 **I'll see you guys Wednesday… Mooches, Deb**


	7. Focus

**A/N… This is the last regular chapter. The epi is complete, so that will go up without any problems on Sunday.**

 **I save all my mushy thanks for then. LOL ;) Anyway, this picks up right after their time in the lab. Off you go…**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 7 – Focus**

 **Bella**

The water was steamy hot as I let it run over my head and face. I jumped a little when a knock sounded on the bathroom door.

"Swan… Food's here," Edward called from the other side.

"'Kay, I'll be out in a second."

My body was deliciously sore in all the right places. My skin felt like a livewire everywhere Edward had touched me a little over an hour prior. We'd driven back from the campus in my car, and we were both very quiet, but Edward's hand had stayed firmly in mine the whole way. Despite what we'd done and said to each other, I didn't feel the awkwardness that could've surrounded us. Hell, bringing sex into any relationship sometimes brought nerves and awkward feelings, but not this, not us. And as I pulled on my underwear, I cracked a smile at myself in the mirror, remembering Edward's reaction to them in the lab. A small, quiet laugh escaped me as I pulled on a pair of his sweat pants that I'd stolen from him ages ago, along with a long T-shirt.

I stepped out into my living room to see Edward had run across the hall to his own apartment to shower and change. He was in his green athletic shorts and a USF T-shirt, his hair still damp. At least our comfort level around each other wouldn't change. This was the usual lounging attire for Chinese delivery and couch-potato activities.

He gestured to the kitchen counter where all the delivery boxes were spread out. Raising an eyebrow at me, he asked, "What's with the smugness, Swan?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm just…" I paused, picking up a plate. "I don't know. Ignore me, Cullen."

The plate was swiftly and gently removed from my hand, and I found myself lifted and planted on top of the other side of the kitchen counter. Edward's face was directly in front of mine, his eyes dark and slightly teasing. I couldn't stop from wrapping my legs around his hips.

His hands cupped either side of my face and pulled my lips to his. Instantly, I lost myself to him, and I wondered for a moment if it would always be this way or if we'd level off eventually.

"You should be smug, Bella," he said softly against my mouth, his gaze locking with mine when his forehead thumped to my own. "You were fucking gorgeous today. And how long has it been since you had three orgasms?"

My laugh snorted out of me in the ugliest and funniest laugh ever made, and my head fell back. "At one time, Edward?"

"Yes," he breathed against my neck, but I could feel his smile on my skin.

"Never."

He popped back up, making me look him in the eye. "You're lying." When I shook my head seriously, it was his smug smile that lit up the room. "But _I did_?" he verified, and I nodded slowly. "Seriously, no one took care of you like that? Ever?"

It was a serious question coming from him. I could see it in his face. I knew when he was being silly and flirty and just plain funny, but this was an honest question to which I shook my head no in answer.

"Good," he said roughly, pulling my mouth back to his, and he kissed me until I essentially forgot my own name. "Then my plan to spoil you is already working."

Grinning, I let out a light laugh. "Then let me eat, Cullen. I'm starving. You did that, too."

His smile was wide and carefree. "Fair enough, Swan."

Edward set me gently back down onto the floor, and we filled our plates, taking a seat on my sofa. Usually, the TV would go on and we'd lose ourselves in one show or another, but he didn't reach for the remote like usual. Instead, he turned my way.

"You really want me to go home to Washington with you? Spring break, I mean?"

My eyebrows shot up, but I nodded as I slowly swallowed a bite of eggroll. "Yeah, I mean…you don't have to, but…"

He nodded, shifting food around on his plate with a fork, but he didn't look up at me. "Jake was drunk, Bella. The time he came to visit you. He was kinda trashed, and you were talking with some friends outside at that party we went to, and he… There was a girl who was flirting with him. He was too wasted to know what the hell he was doing. I couldn't let him do that to you, so I threatened his ass." He glanced over at me. "I didn't tell you, because… Fuck, that would've hurt you so bad. I mean, I could tell you really cared about the guy. And you were still homesick, you know?"

I nodded, smiling down at my plate.

"Who… How'd you find out? Did he call you or something?"

"My dad." I laughed when Edward's gaze snapped up to mine. "Yeah, apparently Jake confessed everything, thinking you told on him. That's why he never called me again, except to break up on a voice mail."

Edward snorted hard, shaking his head. "What a tool." His face scrunched up a bit. "And someone's marrying him?"

"Well, he's been with her for a while, and now she's pregnant."

"Of course, she is," he replied with a laugh. He took a bite of food, chewing and swallowing before looking over at me. "And you want to go to the wedding?"

"No." I laughed, getting up from the sofa. "Beer?"

"Please."

"No, I want to see my dad. I don't think I'm going to have time this summer to see him. Spring break may be my only chance to go home before internships and stuff, you know?" I grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed him one once I was back in the living room. "Unfortunately, I'll have to attend the wedding while there."

Edward opened his beer and took a long drink from it, and I tried my best not to watch his throat, his mouth, never mind his tongue when he licked the flavor off his lips. And in order to distract myself, I focused on my plate, taking a few bites and then babbling stupidly.

"You know, Dad thought we were already…"

Edward laughed, setting his plate down, and he took mine away, too. Pulling me to him, he fell to the back of the sofa for a moment and cupped my face. "Jesus Christ, everyone saw it but us," he said through a soft laugh. "My parents, your dad, Jasper…even Tanya."

That last one had me sitting up. "No, she didn't."

"Yes, she did." He chuckled again, but this time, he pulled me across his lap so that I was straddling him. "She either read my face like a damn book, or you must've said something at some point, because she knew the minute we shook hands. Bella, she called me _your Edward_."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I tried to think of past conversations I'd had with Tanya. The only thing I could think of was a night we'd gone out drinking. She'd flirted with a couple of guys, but I hadn't been interested. When she'd asked why, I couldn't give her an answer. It was shortly after Mike and I had broken up. But I remembered Edward had been texting me, and she'd asked who made me smile that way. I'd told her, and she'd said go for it. My only reply had been, "He doesn't see me that way."

"Oh." I locked gazes with Edward, who was smirking my way, and he raised an eyebrow up. "God, how'd she remember that shit?" I asked rhetorically. "We were hungover as hell the next day."

His laugh was soft, his eyes warm as he raked his fingers through my hair. "Remember what, Swan?"

I told him about going out with her not long after breaking up with Mike and what had been said, and his smile fell, but his eyes stayed warm and sweet. Looking at him right then while still feeling the effects of all that we'd done in that lab earlier, I could see my best friend, but I could see just how easy it could be to fall in love with him. And I was damned close already. It wouldn't take much, and that seemed to scare the shit out of me at the same time I felt myself scoot closer and closer to him.

Warm, strong arms wrapped around me, but Edward didn't seem to question why I was looking at him the way I was right at that moment. His brow did furrow a little, though.

"What, baby?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I'm scared about this."

"What scares you?"

I broke my gaze from his eyes and focused on running my fingers through his almost dry hair. "I don't want to lose anything we had before today. But now that it's out there, I can't…"

"You can't reel it back in."

"Yes, exactly! You, too?"

"Fuck, yes," he whispered, slipping his hand into my hair and pulling my mouth to his.

He kissed me thoroughly, deeply, like he couldn't stop, and I didn't want him to stop. Ever. I moaned shamelessly when I felt him hard again between my legs. However, he slowed us down, placing his hands flat on either side of my face in order to pull me back just a little.

"Bella, there are no cameras now. Not here, but I said it back in the lab, and I'll say it again here. Hell, I'll fucking say it every damn day… This won't end now that your thesis is recorded. We've never lied to each other before, so I'm not lying to you now. Us…this… I think it could be really fucking amazing. A wise man once told me… It's your best friend that you keep.

"I'm scared, too, Bella. But it's because I don't want to mess up. Not this. It's too important," he whispered the last sentence, but he gripped my hips gently. "Feel that?" he asked, his voice dangerously low, like how he'd spoken to me in the lab. He shifted his hips beneath me, grinding his erection in the perfect spot.

"Y-Yes," I answered breathlessly. How I could want him again was mindboggling.

"As much as I want you again, Swan," he breathed against my lips, "this thing…the food, the couch, this apartment… Just hanging out with you, just simply being with you is just as important. Understand?"

And right there was when I knew I'd completely fall head over heels for him in no time flat. Hell, I could feel it happening as he brushed light kisses to my lips, with a strong arm locked around my waist to keep me close.

My forehead fell to his with that realization, and I nodded against him. "Yeah, Edward, I understand."

"Good. Now, can we eat? I'm a starving man, Swan, and you're gonna need your strength."

"Arrogant ass," I said with a laugh, but before I got off his lap I grabbed his face. "Did you get extra sweet and sour sauce, Cullen?"

"Pfft, just what kind of man do you think I am?!" He rolled his eyes, waving toward the kitchen. "It's up there."

"You're the best." I kissed him roughly and scrambled off his lap.

"So you told me," he countered pompously, grinning my way, but his eyes darkened and narrowed as I walked back to the sofa with my cup of extra sauce. "Are you… What's… Are you wearing something as wicked as before under all that?" He gestured to the sweats and T-shirt.

"Maybe," I sang, sitting down next to him, but when he reached for my shirt, I knocked his hand away playfully. "Eat, Cullen. You'll need your strength, too."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Edward**

I wasn't sure what brought me up out of the foggy haze of sleep more – the sunlight beaming in the window or the hard-on that was throbbing between my legs. But the feel of warmth and wetness wrapping around my dick caused my eyes to snap open.

A glance down my body caused my eyes roll back into my head. "Oh, my sweet fucking hell," I hissed as Bella's mouth engulfed my cock completely. When she hummed around me, I moaned shamelessly. "Easy, beautiful… I _really_ need that to last."

I couldn't stop myself from shifting up on my elbows to watch her. Dark-brown eyes gazed up at me from between my legs as her tongue did wicked things to my cock. When her hands got into the game, I just about shot off the bed.

The last forty-eight hours had been this kind of debauchery. We'd opened up a side of ourselves that couldn't be put back. There was no suppressing it. If I'd thought the time in the lab was hot, was a test in trust and friendship, nothing had prepared me for the weekend we'd spent in her apartment. We were us – the two people we'd always been – but we were more. We watched TV, ate food, drank some beers. We'd even studied a little, but there were moments – just like this one – where the _more_ came out. And more was fucking amazing.

Normal lounging on the couch turned into a kiss or two…or a nonstop make-out session that had me taking her hard on the sofa. Our usual banter, that stupid and snarky back-and-forth thing we did had me reaching for her and stripping her out of my sweat pants and T-shirt just to see what she'd hidden underneath. And she had hidden some deadly shit – something pink and silky and barely there.

But this was different. Waking up to Bella's sexy-as-hell lips wrapped around my dick was the way I wanted to be woken up every damn day for a century. Fuck, she felt so damned good.

When I'd begged her, pleaded with her to do the experiment with me, I'd never expected to take us back to her place and feel… _this._ I'd been in long-term relationships before, and I'd had amazing sex, but nothing felt like this. This was comfort and ease. This was laughter and kisses that didn't stop. And there was an encouragement for what we'd always had as our life goals. I'd called this a test when I'd told her we'd see where it all lead after the lab, but we'd far surpassed my expectations. When I glanced down at her again, I finally reached for her, pushing her hair away from her beautiful face as my eyes took in the sight of those lips and tongue on me.

"Bella, c'mere. That feels fucking amazing, but I… Fuck, baby, I just want you…"

Bella crawled slowly up my body, licking her lips, but her smile was sexy and wickedly. "That thing kept poking at me, so I thought I'd better help it out."

"Yeah, well, he's a selfish thing, but I think I can convince him to work with me. I apologize on his behalf; he tends to take things to an aggressive level."

Grinning at her beautiful giggle, I guided her up my body to straddle my waist as I took that sweet ass into both hands and squeezed. Her hands braced on my bare shoulders, and she gazed down at me. My heart pounded in my chest, because my feelings for her were pretty much set in stone prior to ever touching her. Now, I was completely ruined.

"I can't go back, Bella," I whispered. "I don't want to."

She nodded fervently, placing her hands on either side of my face and leaning in to press her lips to mine.

"Me, either. Fuck, Edward," she groaned when my hips shifted beneath her and my cock glided through the wetness of her pussy. Jesus, she was hot and wet and ready just from a damn blowjob. "I know we have class…"

"Yeah," I agreed halfheartedly, lifting her up to guide myself inside her. "We may be late…"

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

The only sounds that could be heard were the repetitive thump of sneakers on the pathway and steady breathing. Jasper and I kept a good pace through the park, slowing down to a walk toward our usual benches.

It had been a couple of weeks since I'd had a chance to run with him. Some of it had been on me, with the clinic and classes, not to mention Bella – I'd stayed damn busy. And Jasper had been no better. He was working toward taking the Bar soon, but apparently things had worked out between him and Alice Brandon, because they were now pretty much inseparable. Today was an open day for me. No classes, no clinic, and Bella needed to start editing her thesis film, so she was holed up in her apartment with her laptop – a thought that made me lose pace and my sneaker to snag on absolutely nothing. But I smiled nonetheless.

"Knee?" Jasper asked.

"No," I said through a chuckle. "I'm just… Never mind."

Jasper didn't know about Bella's thesis; he only knew that we were now together. Like… _together_ , together. I rolled my eyes at that because I sounded like a pussy in my own mind, but damn it all, I'm not sure things could get any better. Well, maybe one thing would make it better, but I wasn't sure if it was too soon.

Jasper's smile was crooked and half-ass, but he nodded. "Dude, you look like you're about to fart sunshine. Stuff must be hella good for you. And just how _is_ Bella these days?"

I cracked up at how he put it, but I walked to the bench across from his, stretching my leg and adjusting the Velcro on my knee brace. Finally, I pulled my T-shirt off and wiped my sweaty face with it.

"She's good." I laughed again when he shot an accusatory eyebrow up at me. "Okay, she's fucking amazing. Better?"

"Well, it's more honest, anyway."

"Your questioning tactics need to change before you start cross examining people on the stand, asshole. I'm not sure the _bitch-brow_ is allowed. Can the court reporter even transcribe that shit?"

The fucker grinned, but he shrugged a shoulder as he wiped his face. "And you need a better bedside manner, Dr. Cullen."

"My bedside manner is just fine. I just call bullshit when I see it. And you don't count."

He chuckled, nodding a little.

"Since you're all nosy and shit… How's Alice?" I asked him, leaning back on the bench with my arms along the back.

"She's good," he replied, cracking up when I flipped him off for answering me the same way. "Actually, I really want you and Bella to meet her."

Internally, I winced, but I said, "Yeah, sure. Definitely."

I wasn't sure if Alice had told him about what she'd volunteered for with Bella's experiment, but I'd let Bella handle that part of it. Essentially, the video was all anonymous, so no one had to really know anything.

"We'll set it up. Dinner or drinks or something," he said, sitting forward. "You got plans for spring break?"

My grin was ridiculously wide as I nodded. "Yeah, Bella wants me to go with her back to Washington to see her dad. And her asshole ex is getting married, so she's invited."

"Ex? You mean that fucker from way back who you almost beat the shit out of at that party?"

I laughed and nodded. "That same one."

"Dude, and you're going? To the wedding, I mean." he asked, and I shrugged. "Damn… You know if I'd been a betting man, it was that night I thought for sure you had the hots for Bella."

"I probably did. I told you that I wasn't a blind man, Jazz. I always thought she was beautiful," I answered with a laugh, "but I was with someone then, and she really liked Jake. I remember when he just broke up with her by leaving a stupid message, and she was hurt, but she trudged through it. Then I was with Lauren, and Bella was with Mike. Now it's…" I trailed off but smiled his way, shrugging again.

"Oh, my fucking God… You're in love with her," he said through an incredulous laugh.

I snorted, sitting forward with my elbows on my thighs. "Yeah," I said softly, nodding a little. "Hook, line, and sinker. I mean, I haven't told her yet, but…yeah."

He smiled and stood up, and I followed his lead, because I promised my dad I'd meet him for lunch before his shift at the hospital. He held his hand out to me, and we shook.

"I get it, Ed. I'm glad for you."

"You, too. Call me about getting the girls together."

He shot a wave over his shoulder as he headed for his truck. "Will do."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

Stepping out of the elevator onto my floor, I snorted softly to myself at how lunch had gone with my dad – which actually turned out to be both of my parents. When I'd told them Bella and I were dating, I thought my mother would lose her mind. My dad, however, had simply raised an eyebrow in question. He'd obviously known about Bella's thesis, so his curiosity was piqued.

I'd merely told him, "Things worked out for the better." My cheesy grin made him laugh his ass off.

I made my way down the hall to my apartment door, giving Bella's across the way a longing glance, but I'd promised her time to work. My run with Jasper, my lunch with my parents, and even some errands – I'd tried to give her space the whole day. Strangely enough, I'd missed the shit out of her today. I saw her all the time, and we rarely slept apart these days, but maybe it was the thought that she was watching us on video all day that made me want to see her, see what she was seeing on her screen.

I wasn't really a porn kind of guy, though I wasn't innocent of it. I also wasn't a true exhibitionist like Bella and I had joked about in the library the day I'd volunteered to help her. Sure, shit happened in cars and in public places, but I wasn't the type of narcissist that had the need to see myself fucking someone on the Internet or even on my own TV. But the memories of that first time, of cameras and surrender, and of skin and first real kisses had me curious as to how we looked on screen. Then I remembered where some of the cameras actually were, and I flinched, shaking my head to clear it.

Closing the door behind me, I sorted through my mail I'd picked up downstairs, dropping the junk mail into the garbage and setting bills aside for later. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, debating on whether to text Bella about ordering pizza or something, but my door opened and closed. I turned to smile her way.

"Hey, Swan, I was just about to see if you needed to come up for air—"

She'd pushed away from the door and was across my living room before I could blink, rushing toward me with dark fire in her eyes. At first glance, I thought she was pissed off, but when her hands reached for my face and her lips met mine hungrily, I lost it.

"Damn, baby…" I mumbled against her mouth, but my arms secured themselves around her and lifted her up. Her strong legs locked around my waist, and I lost the ability to think as I pressed her completely into the wall next to the kitchen.

Her lips were sweet, her tongue seeking mine urgently. Instantly, I was hard for her, losing myself to her neediness. Hands started to grope and push at clothes in the way, but the sounds Bella was making had me slowing her down.

"Hey," I whispered against her mouth, unable to deny her when she pushed and shoved at my T-shirt. Relenting, I reached back and grabbed a handful of it, yanking it off over my head and dropping it to the floor. Warm hands made my eyes roll back as she touched me everywhere, but something was off. Something was bugging me, because she hadn't said a damn word since she set foot in my place.

"Hey, hey, hey," I begged, cupping her face and forcing her gaze to mine. "What's this? What's wrong?"

She shook her head vehemently, her breathing coming out in pants. "Nothing, I just…" Her hands pulled at my neck, and I smiled into the kiss she was trying to plant on me. "Edward," she whined, practically sagging in defeat.

"You tell me what has you… How'd you put it? Climbing me like a jungle gym, and I'll do whatever deliciously naughty things are going through that gorgeous head of yours, Bella." I raised an eyebrow at her, and it took every bit of control I had not to strip her bare and take her against my wall with how she was looking at me.

"All day," she panted, grabbing my face in her hands, palms flat on my cheeks. She brushed kisses over my lips as she continued to speak softly. "All fucking day, Cullen. I've watched us. I…You… Oh fuck… We look…"

Chuckling evilly, I kissed her. "That good, huh?"

She locked gazes with me and nodded slowly with wide eyes and touchy hands on my chest. "You… Shit, you were perfect. You were exactly what I wanted to show, but… Edward, th-th-the way y-you…" She trailed off, her eyes all over my face. "The way you looked _at me_." She tapped the middle of her chest lightly.

"Yeah, pretty much how you're looking at me… _right now_." I tilted my head at her a little.

"I-I-I'm supposed to stay clinical as I'm editing, but holy fuck, we look…"

"I can imagine, Swan," I stated teasingly, giving her ass a squeeze as I continued to hold her against that wall. "Why can't you stay clinical, baby?" I asked her, unable to keep my lips from her skin, her neck, that sweet spot just below her ear that caused her to pull me in tighter.

My intention wasn't to tease her; I just couldn't stop myself from tasting and kissing and gripping. She was too needy and too touchy for me to resist. But her words brought me back from her neck quickly.

"You look at me like…like there's… _more_."

That stopped us completely, but I didn't move from holding her against the wall. I locked my eyes with dark and curious brown ones.

"There is more," I agreed in a whisper. "It didn't take much to get there, either, Bella."

"I know," she breathed out in a heavy sigh, but her eyes were so sweet, so warm, and I waited for her to say it.

I brushed a light kiss across her mouth, dragging my lips across her cheek to her ear. "You're so damn stubborn, Swan. Say it. Tell me."

Fingers threaded into my hair, and she pulled me gently back. Her eyes were wary, taking in my entire face.

"Oh, God… I love you." She said it like admitting it felt so fucking good.

Damn, that sounded amazing, and I leaned in to kiss the ever-loving shit out of her. I kissed her until I couldn't taste or feel anything but her. I kissed her until I could barely take a breath, but when I finally pulled back just a little, I simply stared at her pretty face.

"I love you, too."

It was so easy. It just fit and felt right. It seemed like the only thing we'd ever needed to say in all the babbling that we'd always thrown at each other. It was the one phrase that mattered.

Her hands planted on both sides of my face, and she pulled my lips back to hers, whispering my name like a prayer, like she was begging me.

"Shh, baby…tell me."

"All day, Edward!" she hissed through gritted teeth as I pressed myself closer to her up against that wall. "I've watched us all day. I need… You need… Jesus Christ…please make me come."

I'd laugh out loud at her if she didn't sound so damn needy and desperate, almost to the point of tears.

"How? Tell me, Swan. It's yours."

Her laugh whooshed out of her harshly. "I don't care! Please…"

Quickly, I calculated every way, every possible solution to her problem, but then I just wanted her. Pulling her away from the wall, I carried her into my bedroom, settling her down in the middle of my bed that was still twisted covers and sheets from this morning.

"All day, huh? Did we look good, baby?" I asked her, helping her strip out her shirt. "Did we look as good as it all felt?"

"Better," she whimpered, her head falling back when my hands found her braless underneath that big-ass T-shirt, and my hands cupped and squeezed gently, with teasing thumbs across nipples. "We looked…"

"Lost," I finished for her, and she nodded, letting out a long, sexy moan when my hand slipped under the waist of pajama pants she was wearing. "I bet we did. I bet we looked all kinds of hot, Bella."

My fingers found her swollen and wet, and her hips rose up off the bed, seeking out more and grinding against my hand. Two fingers slid easily inside her, the heel of my hand pressing right where she needed.

"Did you touch yourself when you watched us, Bella?" I asked her, leaning over her in order to wrap my tongue, my lips around her nipple, and my eyes locked on to that gorgeous face that was simply gone to the feel of my touch.

"N-No," she sputtered out, shaking her head and reaching for my face. She pulled me until my lips met hers open, wet, hungry. "I wanted… _you_."

"That's my girl," I praised against her mouth. "Anytime, anyplace, Swan."

I kissed her, pressing her down into my bed a little before pushing away. I thought my girl would sob when my hand left the warmth and wetness between her legs, but I immediately reached for the sides of those pajama bottoms and raked them down her legs. Seeing where I was going with my actions, she sat up and tugged at the button of my jeans. Those bastards wouldn't even make it to the floor. I had to have her when she was this fucking turned on.

The denim made it about halfway down my legs when I couldn't _not_ be inside her any longer. We were practically frantic, pulling and pushing at each other, and I felt myself twitch hard in Bella's hand as she eyed my cock like it was the prettiest damn thing she'd ever seen. She did it every damn time, too. When I finally slid deep inside her, my forehead thumped to hers, my eyes closing as she wrapped everything she had around me.

"Yes," she groaned, her head pushing back into the pillow.

"Is that better, baby?" I asked her, starting a deep, slow rhythm. "Only my cock could help you?"

She nodded vehemently, her eyes rolling back as I found the deep spot inside that usually sent her over the edge. I had a feeling it wouldn't take much at the moment. She was too wet, too close, and too damn needy. I loved the fact that she wouldn't do anything about it until I could help her. I loved even more that she came to me to make it better. As stubborn as Bella could be, I loved that she could tell me what she needed. But above all that, above the sweaty groping and fucking we were doing, I loved that we hadn't lost _us_.

"You wanted to come, beautiful," I warned her, slipping a hand between us to touch her clit. "I know all your secrets now." I rubbed the swollen part of her until she was shaking around me and clenching down onto my cock. "And guess what, baby…" I whispered, opening my mouth to the soft skin next to her ear. "I love you."

Bella's whole body seized up with that being said – her legs pulled me in, her arms practically scratched down my back in the most delicious feeling, and her breathing sucked in – as she completely lost it.

All that tipped me over the edge that I was barely clinging to from the second she'd come in my door just moments before. I pushed into her once, twice, and the third time, I came hard, burying myself inside her. My face was in the crook of her shoulder, my breathing in pants, but her hands were soothing – up and down my back, cupping my ass, and finally back up to rake through my hair.

Pushing up to brace my elbow by her head, I gazed down at her and brushed her hair from her face. I wasn't sure I wanted to see the video of us, but I could well imagine how we'd looked at each other…how _I'd_ looked at her, because I was looking at her the same way now. A small, shy smile curled up her face, and I chuckled.

"Better, Swan?"

"Hell yes, Cullen," she breathed with relief. "Thank you."

There was that ease, that thing we did that was just us. It was perfection, really. And now that there was more to us, I could see a future with endless possibilities. I knew we had to figure out a future, but we'd talk it through. We always did, even when we were simply friends. Hell, we knew what the other was aiming for, so this wouldn't be hard.

Suddenly, I was damned grateful Emmett McCarty had backed out of her thesis at the last minute. I smiled down at Bella, brushing kisses across her lips, unable to stop from teasing her.

"Lucky me. This whole editing process will be a helluva good time."

"Shut up, Cullen," she said through a loud laugh. "Get off me."

Grinning, I held her close for a moment and kissed her roughly. I could see it all. I knew we wouldn't keep two apartments much longer. I knew that I'd go with her home on spring break to see her father, and we'd probably attend the wedding of that asshole ex of hers, which didn't bother me at all. Hell, I even knew that we'd figure out internships and jobs just fine. Where we were once lazy or just too damned comfortable to change anything about our relationship, now I knew I'd never take us for granted.

I sat up a little, smiling at her. "Pizza?"

"Of course."

"Pepperoni?"

"And mushroom." When I wrinkled my nose, she laughed and kissed me. "Fine! On half, Edward."

I rolled off the bed and pulled my jeans back up. "Here? Or your place?"

"Does it matter?" she asked as she pulled her own clothes back on, but I could see we were both on the same line of thinking, because the question felt bigger than just pizza delivery.

I smiled, cupping one side of her face and kissing her. "No. No, Swan. It doesn't matter."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… Like I said, the epi posts Sunday, and I'll save all my thanks for then. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)**


	8. New Labels - Epilogue

**A/N… You guys make me laugh so hard. I'm posting this last chapter early, because my RL job has gotten a little hectic and my schedule is changing radically.**

 **I'll let you get on with it. And no, it's probably not safe for work or at your mom's house or the bus or hell, even home alone, but no…not safe at all. ;) See me at the bottom…**

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **Chapter 8 – New Labels – Epilogue**

 **Bella**

"Bella?" the guy called from behind the counter, and I took my coffee with a small thank-you to him.

I found Tanya at a table outside in the shade.

"Oh, my fucking hell, if you don't spill, Bella, I swear to God…" She narrowed eyes at me as she toyed with her own cup of coffee. "Jesus, have you even come up for air?"

My laugh couldn't be contained as I took a seat across from her. "Yes! Shut up!"

It had been several weeks since Edward and I had filmed my thesis video. We were doing our damnedest to find some sort of balance – classes, labs, his clinic work, and my editing and writing. Editing said film was trying at best, because we looked completely lost to one another. The more I'd splice and crop and blur out faces, the more I just wanted to watch us. Hell, the first day I'd started sorting through all the footage, I'd been so turned on, I just about attacked poor Edward in his apartment.

And I was desperately and completely in love with him.

"I may shake the shit out of you right here in front of everyone," she threatened, smiling when I laughed again. "Spill it, bitch!"

Snorting into another chuckle, I gave her the watered-down version of how the _dry run_ – as she and Edward had insisted on calling it – had gone. Something in her face changed from curiosity to pride and a touch of guilt. I stopped midway through the story, glaring her way.

"You guys planned that 'flat tire,'" I accused, shaking my head at her shameless grin.

"No. No, Bella, that was all me." She laughed hard, holding up her hands when I opened my mouth to curse her the hell out. "Wait, wait," she begged. "I had a feeling that if you two were alone, things would sort themselves out. Looks like I was right."

Studying her face, I whispered, "So…Edward didn't know?"

"No, sweetie. I told him it was a flat tire, too." When my eyebrows shot up, she smiled warmly. "Look, Bella… You are so very blind. That boy was all about you. And you…you looked at him like nothing I'd ever seen. I understood the whole BFF thing, but I'll be damned if I was coming between you two. Literally."

I laughed at the way she'd put that, but I nodded.

"Speaking of coming," she segued beautifully and salaciously. "How was it?"

"Oh my God," I muttered, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I don't have words. Honestly. And now… It's… He's…"

"Mm, I'll take that as a thumbs-up."

Nodding, I was quiet for a moment, but I met her gaze. "I love him."

"And him?" she asked softly, leaning on her elbows.

Her sincerity was all over her face. Tanya was snarky and sarcastic, with a wicked sense of humor, but she was a good person deep down. Caring and kind.

"Yeah," I whispered back, nodding as I took a sip of coffee, and suddenly I needed to set eyes on Edward, but I forced it down a bit. It was too early to pick him up at the clinic. We were flying out tonight to Seattle to stay with my dad through spring break. Neither of us were thrilled about Jake's wedding, but we were going in order to appease my father, who now found it hilarious that Edward and I were finally together.

"Damn, girl, you're all dick-drunk."

Grinning, I shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe, but nothing's changed. Like we still do all the same things, the exact same way, just…now there's more."

Tanya smiled, popping up one eyebrow. "Maybe," she repeated, seeming to only grasp that answer. "That must be some peen."

The laugh that escaped me was loud, but I simply shook my head at her shamelessness. My med school studies gave me advantages when it came to seeing the naked human form – both male and female. In some ways, I was a bit callous to most of it. A penis was a penis – no matter if it was cut, uncut, straight, or curved. A vagina was a vagina, and since I owned one, I didn't give it much thought.

"On a scale of one to ten, Bella, how pretty is the peen?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows until I cracked the hell up.

My phone bleeped with a message from Edward, telling me to head his way because he was about to finish up at the clinic early.

"Oh, damn… I gotta go. He's done, and we're flying out tonight. I still have packing to do."

We both stood up, shouldering our bags, and we walked to the garbage can to throw away our cups. She hugged me, telling me to be safe, but just before she walked away, she called my name.

"Bella, you didn't answer! One to ten?"

Grinning and rolling my eyes, I shot a wave over my shoulder, saying, "Fifteen."

Her laugh caught the attention of several people, mainly men, around us. "Damn it! I fucking _knew_ it! Maybe I should've shown up," she teased, laughing when I flipped her off and walked to Edward's car.

We were carpooling more and more to campus these days. It was easier and our schedules meshed pretty well, but really, we just liked the routine we'd now started – sharing a bed and shower and coffee, not to mention studying in the library and walking into class together. Nothing had changed, except that we touched more, kissed more, and told each other "love you" before separating for the day.

I pulled into the parking lot of the physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic where Edward worked. He was there at least three times a week and was pretty sure that was where he'd end up for his internship and most likely his residency. The staff loved him, but the patients loved him more, which was why they'd already approached Edward.

My future, on the other hand, was still a little iffy. My thesis video was just about finished, my paper almost complete, and my mentor was pretty sure I could publish it if I chose to, but I hadn't decided. It also gave me ample opportunity to start my internship at a sexual-health facility with some of the best therapists and gynecologists in Florida. If that was the case, then both Edward and I would be staying right there in Tampa, and that made me very happy. And Edward had no idea, since I'd had an appointment with my mentor just before meeting Tanya for coffee.

I walked into the front doors of the clinic, shooting a wave to the guy behind the front desk. When I stepped into the main workout area, I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as I watched him work with an elderly gentleman. Edward with patients was a lesson in people skills. His laidback, happy demeanor was infectious. His smile was calming, and his smooth speech put the most frustrated person at ease.

But nothing beat the smile that crossed his face when he caught sight of me across the workout room. It made the elderly man glance my way as well, and he started to chuckle as they walked toward me.

The old guy said something to Edward, which made him laugh and nod, and once they were in front of me, Edward greeted me in his usual manner.

"Swan."

"Cullen," I said with a chuckle.

"I'm just about done," he told me, turning to the man at his side who was at least six inches shorter than he was. "Mr. Sherman, this is Bella. Bella…Mr. Sherman."

My smile widened as I recognized the name. Edward spoke most highly of the elderly man.

"Ah, the best friend," Mr. Sherman said, reaching out a misshapen hand that looked like it had seen long years of hard work.

"The _girlfriend_ ," Edward corrected with a wink my way.

"Oh? Did she finally take pity on you, Ed?"

Edward chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"It's nice to meet you," I said through a soft laugh, shaking the man's hand, but he pulled his other hand away from holding on to Edward's shoulder in order to sandwich mine. And Edward stayed close to make sure his shaky standing position didn't give out.

"You too, Bella." Mr. Sherman whistled low, shaking his head. "You're right, son. She's beautiful."

Edward's grin was shameless. "Told you," he sang, shrugging a shoulder.

I felt my cheeks heat up, but I shouldn't have been surprised. When Edward had told me he wanted to spoil me and show me off, he hadn't been exaggerating. He wore our relationship like a badge of honor. He was still the same outgoing, flirtatious thing he'd always been, but I could see the difference now – how he treated me versus everyone else, specifically the female population. It had always been there, but now it meant more.

Occasionally, I'd get a bit overwhelmed over it all, wondering if somehow we'd missed out on years of what could've been, but I wasn't sure that was true. I also had a resurgence of hatred for Lauren, because I couldn't fathom not only cheating on Edward but turning my back on someone so very sweet and funny, never mind sexy. I was concerned she'd been dropped on her head as a baby. While Edward was a very loyal, very good friend, he was amazing as a boyfriend. He brought our existing deep friendship into it, adding in so much more love and respect and gentleness.

"I'm telling you, Ed, best friends are the keepers," Mr. Sherman whispered, and Edward grinned.

"I'm aware, Mr. Sherman." Edward leaned forward, kissing the side of my head. "I'm almost done, beautiful. Give me five minutes."

"No problem," I replied, smiling when Mr. Sherman patted my hands once more and let go.

"So I guess you really do have a hot date this time," the old man teased Edward, who barked a laugh. "Not so complicated now, is it, son?"

Edward set Mr. Sherman's hand onto his strong shoulder, but his eyes were on me. "Easy as breathing, Mr. Sherman."

It was those things he said, those moments where he took my breath away. It was those types of things that made me want to kiss him stupid or climb him like a jungle gym, because he was shamelessly loving, with fire and heat in those gorgeous green eyes aimed my way. He made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered. And I realized not long after our first time in the lab that he'd _always_ made me feel that way.

"Don't let the boy drive you crazy, Bella," Mr. Sherman warned. "Men have an uncanny ability to push their women to the brink of insanity just by being stupid."

I laughed, now understanding why Edward liked the man so much. He was a silly, fun thing and brutally honest.

"Leon, leave them be," a woman's voice sounded from behind us. "Gracious, you silly old romantic."

He grinned and nodded. "Yes, love," he conceded sweetly.

Edward was still shaking his head and chuckling as he helped Mr. Sherman through the doors and into the car that Mrs. Sherman had pulled up to the front doors of the clinic. He waited until they pulled away before coming back inside.

"So that was your wise man who told you to keep your BFF," I teased him, and Edward grinned.

"Hell, yeah. He's been with his wife for fifty-something years, Swan. I figure he knows a thing or two."

"Hmm," I hummed noncommittedly, pressing my lips to his. "Get your stuff, Cullen. We've got a plane to catch and still have to grab our stuff back home."

"Yes, love," he copied Mr. Sherman surrendering tone, which made me giggle as I watched him walk to the locker room.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

"Bella, it's good to see you again." I heard behind me, and I turned to see the bride's mother standing there.

"Sue," I greeted, hugging her before picking up a glass of punch. "You too. Beautiful wedding."

"Thank you. They wanted something easy." She smiled with a bit of pride, and we both stayed quiet as we gazed around First Beach.

The wedding had been simple but pretty, and the bride and groom both looked happy. Leah was already starting to show a baby bump, but the cream-colored dress hid it well. Jacob looked…different. Or maybe I was looking at him with grown-up eyes. We'd been teenagers when we dated, and I'd been eighteen when I left home for college and almost nineteen when he'd left a voice mail for me, ending things. I'd thought I loved him once, and I probably _had_ loved him, but as my eyes caught sight of my dad and Edward laughing and chatting with each other across the reception area, I realized that it hadn't come close to the real feeling.

What Jake and I had had was fun. It had been good at the time, but once I'd left for USF, things had started to unravel. I could admit it now, but not at the time. I'd wanted it to work, but it would've never lasted. Jake was happy right there on the Quileute reservation, where I'd wanted out and away from the small towns outside of Seattle. He'd been upset once that he couldn't go to college, but he was working his way up the ranks at an auto repair shop his friend's dad ran. While I was glad he was doing something he liked, I knew for a fact that my road would lead elsewhere.

"That is one handsome boy," Sue muttered, nudging me with her elbow.

I broke into a chuckle, shaking my head and looking back at Edward – or really, the looks Edward was receiving from the people around him, specifically the female members. Old, young, it didn't matter. They all looked him over. But the only eyes Edward locked on to were mine.

"Yeah, he is," I sighed wistfully, grinning when Sue giggled like a girl.

"Your dad speaks highly of him. I believe he's going to be a doctor, too?"

"Mmhmm," I answered, nodding her way. "Yeah, his focus is more toward physical therapy and orthopedic medicine. Sports medicine, really."

"What about when school is done?" she asked me.

I smiled a genuine smile. "We're staying in Tampa," I told her, nodding a bit. "Both of us. We've both got prospects there, so we'll be continuing our internship and residency in Florida."

Edward and I had been so rushed to get home from the clinic, pack up his car, and get to the airport all checked in that I didn't get to talk to him about my meeting with my thesis mentor until we finally sat down on the plane. To say Edward was happy that I had opportunities in the same city would be an understatement. He'd kissed me until I was flushed and laughing…and until the flight attendant stopped eye-fucking him.

Most of the cross-country flight had been filled with talk about the future, steps we needed to take with school and jobs versus steps we wanted to take with each other. I had a suspicion that Edward wanted to move in together…and soon. And really, that would be just about perfect. Where we'd be coming up on some busy times soon, we'd at least be able to come home to each other at the end of the day.

Smiling at the feel of strong, familiar arms wrapping around me from behind, I glanced over my shoulder to see a sweet, if not smug Edward.

"Sue Clearwater, this is my boyfriend, Edward Cullen," I introduced them.

"Nice to meet you, Edward."

"Nice to meet you, too," he said cordially. He nuzzled my cheek, whispering, "Your dad is almost ready to go. He's bitchin' about the tiny finger foods and wants something more substantial, like a cheeseburger."

I laughed. "Of course he is. Well, he's not getting diner food. I already told him I was cooking dinner when we got back to the house."

Edward grinned against my ear, kissing it softly before pulling away just a bit. "Yes, love," he said, and I snorted into a giggle. It seemed Edward had adopted Mr. Sherman's surrendering phrase. However, the silly-sweet smile on this handsome face wavered a little when his eyes glanced over my shoulder. "Jacob," he greeted, reaching around me to offer a hand. "Congratulations…on both accounts."

"Thanks, Edward." Jake grinned, but it fell when he looked to me.

"I'll give you guys a few." Edward kissed my cheek, but it was the whispered, "Love you, Swan," that was only for me that left chills behind when he stepped away.

"Bells, I…" Jake started, but his eyes watched Edward for a moment, only to turn back to me. "I wanted to thank you for coming. I didn't think you would when I mentioned it to Charlie a few weeks ago."

I nodded and smiled, though it felt a little forced. "I probably wouldn't have, but this was my last chance to see Dad for a while," I explained honestly. "I'm glad you're doing well, Jake."

When I started to walk away, he stopped me. "Wait, Bella! I…I owe you an apology for…how I handled things. I was a dumb kid."

"Yes, we both were," I agreed easily, shrugging a shoulder. "What's in the past is history, Jake. I'm… _good_."

"So you two…" He pointed to me and somewhere behind me to wherever Edward was. "You've been together a long time, huh?"

"No." I laughed at his confused face. "No, we just recently took things beyond friendship. He's been my best friend since I got to USF."

"Yeah, but…no…no, he…threatened me, B."

"I'm sure he did." I laughed. "I threatened his ex, too."

"Well, shit," Jacob said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "And the whole time I thought you and he…that you two… I was sure you two had…"

"Nope."

Jake snorted. "Then I really do owe you an apology."

"All is forgiven, Jake," I said, glancing over my shoulder to see my dad's disgruntled face as he held some sort of cracker thing up, while Edward smiled in amusement at him. "I should go. I need to get Dad something more than finger sandwiches and cake." I laughed, shaking my head. "Congratulations and good luck, Jake."

Jake chuckled because he knew my dad. But when he pulled me in for a hug, I froze for a moment; his large, tall form used to give me comfort, but not anymore. I felt nothing but a touch of nostalgia. He had to have felt it too, because he had a small smile on his face when he pulled back.

I walked away, tossing a wave his way, but I joined the two men I loved most in the world.

"I think it's cheese, Charlie," Edward told my dad.

"It smells funny."

"Oh my hell," I sighed. "C'mon, you two. I'll feed you both."

"Cheeseburgers?" Charlie asked with a childlike hopefulness behind it.

"Fine, fine," I told him, leaning into Edward's kiss to my head.

"Everything okay, Swan?"

I smiled, looking up at him. I couldn't resist his lips, so I pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth. "Yup. You know that thing…where everyone saw it but us?"

Edward grinned widely, nodding. "Lemme guess. So did Jake?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Excellent." He kissed me once, turning me toward the parking lot of the beach.

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

I was sitting in my old bedroom on the bed when the sound of the shower shut off, and I glanced up at Edward as he stepped back into the room with a towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips. Sometimes he made me shake my head in awe. As silly and fun as Edward was, as much as he was such a bright, happy spirit in my life, he was ridiculously good-looking. I always teased him about being arrogant, but he was far from it. There was a difference between arrogance and confidence – or even simply being at ease in one's own skin. While Edward was aware of how he looked, he'd never been an ass to women. He'd always treated them well, with the best of intentions, but like a lot of relationships, things didn't always work out. And he couldn't stop his personality that was flirty and fun. It was just…Edward.

And I'd watched all that from the sidelines for years, not particularly jealous, because I'd had my own relationships, but I was always intrigued when dumb girls didn't know how good they had it.

The truth was that he'd always been there. No matter what or who was in our lives, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I could step across the hall of our apartment building and fall into that comfortable thing we had on the worst of days, trusting that he'd make it all better just with his lighthearted nature. And I wondered if that made me just like the dumb girls who overlooked the best thing that ever happened to them.

Locking gazes with warm, sweet green, I couldn't stop myself from smiling and whispering, "I love you, Cullen."

The sweetest smile curled the corners of his mouth, and he sat down on the bed in front of me in all his toweled glory, reaching for my face. "Love you, too, Swan."

I leaned in and kissed his lips. "Dad was called down to the station, but he'll be back in a few hours."

Edward nodded, kissing me again before pulling back just a little. He glanced around the room, landing on our bags I'd repacked. Our flight back to Tampa was in the morning. We'd spent the week with my dad, attending the wedding, and one day was spent in Seattle doing the tourist shit, but all in all it had been a break from school and homework, not to mention a bit of a test on our relationship, considering we'd never traveled together. Not long distance, anyway. We'd done the Florida/Disney/beach things, but it had usually included the people we'd been dating or Jasper or whatever. But this… This had felt domestic, marital, and it had been just as easy and fun as everything else we had done or recently changed in our relationship. It helped that my dad loved Edward and didn't even bat an eye when we stayed in my old bedroom together.

His gaze raked around the room again, and he grinned. "I'm trying to imagine you in here as a teen, but I can't. I expected pink, but there's purple."

"It _was_ yellow."

He shook his head, his nose wrinkling. "Definitely can't see the yellow."

"That was from when I was a baby. Mom liked yellow."

"Hmm," he hummed, reclining back and propping himself up on an elbow, which stretched his long, lean body out and caused that towel to shift a bit lower.

God, I wanted him.

Some days, he was irresistible. Though he said the same about me. We seemed to be playing catch-up on the physical side of us all the time. And not for the first time did I wonder if it would ever level out. I realized I didn't want it to level out, and my hand reached out to touch.

Edward's eyes darkened as my hand skimmed across his chest and stomach, edging around the towel to toy with the tucked-in corner.

"What'cha doin' there, Swan?" he asked in a husky, raspy tone that I'd learned he used when he was about to lose control.

I shook my head, leaning over and kissing him. "Eye-fucking you, but I may change that to really fucking you."

He chuckled evilly. "Mmmm, damn, your dad may kill me dead if he knew the things I want to do to you in here, that I've _already_ done to you back home."

Giggling, I pushed him until he was on his back, his legs dangling off the side of the bed and the towel finally giving up and falling open. Edward pulled me to him, humming appreciatively when he discovered I was only wearing a T-shirt, which he quickly gathered up and lifted off me. Skin on skin was addictive and felt so good. He was still very warm from his shower and freshly shaved after having gone a few days since he didn't have to work at the clinic.

He smelled amazing and clean as I leaned in to inhale deeply at his neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses to the skin. I loved the needy-sounding moan he let out when I did that, and soon we were shifting and moving and kissing on my old bed. Strong hands with long, knowing fingers pulled at my thighs until I was straddling his hips. Edward sat up, keep me astride his lap as we continued to touch and grind and whisper to each other for more and more. However, nothing could stop his words.

"You want me to fuck you in your old room, Swan?"

"Yes," I hissed as I felt his hand, his fingers tease me between my legs.

"Mmmm, good. I want to erase whoever else has been in here."

"No one's been in here, Edward," I told him, grabbing his face in my hands and kissing him. "Fuck!" I groaned out through gritted teeth as his fingers teased and drew me closer and closer to the edge. "I want you…"

Something a bit dark and feral crossed his usually laidback features. "No?"

"No. Just you."

"Damn, baby. I want you, too. Just like this. I want you to feel me every time you move in the plane seat tomorrow."

"Jesus, Cullen…" My breathing caught for a second or two when his fingers slipped out of me and his cock teased between my folds.

"Bella, please…"

I lifted up, and he guided himself inside. My eyes rolled back as the feeling of being filled was almost overwhelming, but the touches slowed down from a bit frantic to an even, sensual pace. Before I could stop myself, the truth of it all came spilling out of my mouth against his lips.

"Shit, how did we live without this for so long?"

"I dunno, I dunno, I dunno," he chanted, guiding my hips and movement with his own thrusts and his hands on my ass. "But holy fuck, I can't… I want…" He trailed off, but one of his hands skimmed up my back, over my breast, and finally threaded into my hair at the base of my skull, gripping in a delicious way that always made me whimper at how good it felt. "Never, Bella. It's _never, ever_ felt like this for me."

"I know. Me, either," I breathed back, and his mouth met mine in a soul-deep, claiming kiss.

He wrapped an arm around me, stilling my movements, and suddenly he stood, keeping us connected, and then he turned around and pressed me down into the bed. We were a tangle of limbs and tongues and groping hands as he took things to a deeper, faster pace. There were sounds of grunts and pleas for more, skin meeting skin, and heavy breathing.

As he braced on one hand, his other traveled over my breast, teasing my nipple, and down my stomach to where we were connected. He knew just how to bring me to the pinnacle of pleasure, how to make me lose control and unravel for him. And I did, with a shameless moan of just how good he made me feel. And he wasn't far behind me, especially when my heels pressed into his thighs and my hands raked down his back to his ass.

A string of curse words left his mouth as he buried his face into my neck, and he shuddered when he lost it.

We were completely still for a few moments, my fingers trailing up and down his spine. Just when I thought I was putting him to sleep, he pushed back a little to lock those dark-green eyes on me. His face was somber as he brushed my hair from my face.

"I want it all with you, beautiful," he said softly but confidently, nodding once. "Everything. I don't want two apartments anymore, Bella. We… Things are going to be so fucking busy soon. I don't…" He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his brow furrowing. "I also don't want you to ever doubt that my being busy means I don't…that I…"

"Shh, Edward," I whispered against his lips. "I'll be busy, too, you know." It was a subtle reminder but the truth nonetheless.

"I know, but… I want this every day, every night. Hell, we're together already anyway."

Grinning, I nodded. "Okay."

"Yeah?" he verified, a sexy-as-all-hell smile curling up his mouth.

"Yeah," I said through a giggle, pressing my lips to his. "So…who's moving? You or me?"

"Me. You have a helluva lot more shit."

I laughed, my head falling back to the pillows behind me, and I felt his chuckling kiss to my neck. "Fair enough. Then move your ass in."

"Okay," he mumbled against the skin behind my ear. "I want more than that, Bella, but that's a start." His voice was soft, and I pulled at him until I could look him in the eye. "I mean it."

I studied his handsome face. It was the same expression he'd worn when he'd asked me in the lab the day of filming if I'd wanted kids. I'd told him eventually.

"Eventually?" I whispered, reminding him. When he nodded, his eyes darkening again, I grinned. "Okay."

Cupping his face, palms flat on either side, I brought him in for another kiss. I loved him to a ridiculous level. I loved that I knew him so well that I'd seen this coming. I loved that we both seemed to stay in sync and on the same page with our relationship. But even more, I loved that our friendship stayed exactly the same, that absolutely nothing changed about us, except that we were more. We were stronger, better, but more. Our foundation was unshakeable, so no matter what _more_ we added, nothing seemed to shake us.

I saw it all gazing back at me with green eyes and a sweet smile. One day we'd both be doctors and we'd be busy as hell with schedules and patients and appointments, where we'd probably only see each other when we fell into bed at night. One day he wouldn't greet me with Swan; he'd greet me with his own last name. One day we'd go from there being two of us to three, or more, but none of it was scary because he not only loved me, but he was my very best friend. And I knew there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for me. Hell, I had video proof of it, which only made me smile and tease him.

"Excellent. Wanna help edit the film?"

His eyes narrowed, but his tongue dragged slowly across his bottom lip. "Um, no. I just want to keep reaping the benefits of the hot and bothered director."

I laughed at him, because despite how much I came to him when I was working, he never showed any interest in watching it. I think he was afraid to see the close-up shots, which was fair and understandable.

"Then I can't wait to go home."

He smiled, leaning in to kiss me. "Hell, yes… I've now caught myself a case of the _live-in_ girlfriend. I'm pretty sure it's all over now."

"Aww, Cullen, you're doomed," I said through a giggle, wrapping my arms and legs all around him.

"Fuck yeah, I am, Swan." He smiled through more kisses. "Like I said before, it's not necessarily a bad thing."

Smiling up at him, I raked my fingers through his hair. Labels seemed to change, and some didn't always reveal themselves right away. I knew whatever label we put on us would never matter – BFFs, boyfriend/girlfriend, roommate, lover, spouse, or parent – whatever "case" we caught next would be just as easy as breathing.

"No, Edward. Not bad at all."

 **~ooo~TSB~ooo~**

 **A/N… A few of you were curious about Jake and the wedding. A bunch of you wanted more Mr. Sherman. ;) Some wanted to know about Alice, but honestly, she wasn't important to me in the great big picture. Tanya, however,** _ **was**_ **important to me, so I totally wanted to show her again. I don't know if there will be any outtakes for this one. There are a few things I could touch on, but we'll see. It's a time factor for me, not a lack of inspiration. LOL ;)**

 **Anyway, I need to thank my usual cast of characters. SueBee for feeding this ridiculous plot bunny. Jenny for cleaning it up. Jody and Pamela for their help. FallingSnowWinter and Bethany for awesome and beautiful banners, and Bethany made a gorgeous Edward-in-a-towel manip that just makes my mouth water. Edward'sEternal is always a big cheerleader.**

 **And as always, thank you guys for every review and rec and comment on FB and Twitter. I never expected that strange video to develop into such a sweet and sexy Edward, because he was a helluva lot of fun to write. ;) So thank you for coming along for the ride, even though it was a bit on the short side.**

 **As of right now, I have no plots brewing. I need to work on some other things, so I'll be tackling that next.**

 **Please remember to check out Amazon for** _ **High Heels & Hard Drives**_ **by me and Jenny Rarden. You can search by my name – Deb Rotuno – and you can bring it up that way.**

 **Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)**


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